Cricket-New Zealand Santner and Ravindra return to England T20 Series
The national cricket body, NZC, said that the return of Mitchell Santner, New Zealand's regular white-ball captain, and Rachin Ravindra, an all-rounder, will give New Zealand a boost in the three-match Twenty20 match series this month against England. However, Williamson will not be playing, a key batter, according to the NZC. Santner, Ravindra and Michael Bracewell were all absent from the T20 series played against Australia in the first half of this month. Ravindra missed the T20 series against Australia earlier this month due to facial injuries, while Santner recovered from abdominal surgery.
South Africa coal heartland is home to a small solar city
Even though the locals are coughing up grey smog, coal keeps them at work, heats their homes during winter, and cooks dinner. Now, however, things are slowly beginning to change. South Africa, one of the largest coal exporters in the world, has launched a plan that will wean itself off coal pollution and embrace green industries to create jobs. Solar bricks - stackable lithium-ion batteries charged by sunlight - are used to power lights and mobile phones in almost every Nomzamo home. Nomzamo, despite only having 412 households in its program, sees it as the beginning of a major green shift for the country.
New Zealand Government to support energy companies' investments in critical infrastructure
The New Zealand Government announced on Wednesday it will financially support investments by energy companies to build critical electricity infrastructure. The government owns 51% of the former state-owned power generators Genesis Energy Mercury and Meridian. New Zealand's energy prices are rising as the supply is tightening. This has put energy generators on the radar. In a press release, Finance Minister Nicola Willis stated that she wrote to three electricity generators informing them that the government was prepared to fund capital requests for investments that are strategic and commercially logical to promote energy security.
Australian shares fall as central bank keeps rates unchanged
The Australian share market fell on Tuesday, as financials and energy stocks were dragged down after the central banks kept interest rates unchanged as expected. They also struck a cautious policy tone that tempered risk appetite while clouding short-term easing expectations. The S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 0.2% to 8,848.8 after earlier rising up to 0.3% at a high of four weeks. The benchmark ended a five-month streak of gains, dropping 1.4% in the month of September. This was its worst performance since March. Reserve Bank of Australia has left its key rate at 3…
Australian shares rise as gold and banks shine ahead of RBA's decision
Australian shares rose Monday, boosted by bank and gold stocks. This was ahead of the central bank's policy meeting scheduled for later this week. The markets expect the bank to maintain rates. S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.6% by 0028 GMT to 8,842.10. The benchmark index had closed Friday 0.2% higher. A poll shows that the Reserve Bank of Australia is likely to keep its cash rate at 3.60 percent on September 30. The tight labour market makes policymakers cautious, while they wait for clearer signs of inflation easing.
New Zealand opens up applications for oil and Gas Exploration Nationwide
New Zealand's Government announced on Thursday that it has opened applications for new permits for oil and gas exploration, following a ban in 2018 on new exploration of fossil fuels. In a press release, the government announced that it would not only invite applicants to bid for licences for oil exploration but also introduce a "new open market" which will allow companies to apply at any time for exploration permits. In a statement, Minister of Resources Shane Jones stated that the open market application system better balances the need to increase gas supply while maintaining robust competition.
New Zealand's Transpower plans to upgrade the North-South Islands Power Link with $653 million.
Transpower announced on Tuesday that it has applied to the New Zealand Commerce Commission to approve its NZ$1.1bn (US$653,40m) plan to upgrade high voltage direct current (HVDC), the electricity link between New Zealand's North Island and South Islands. The project consists of replacing three old submarine cables, adding a new cable to increase transfer capacity, and building new cable terminations on both sides Cook Strait. Surveys have shown that the cables will deteriorate as expected by early 2030s and need to be replaced.
Investors await growth data; consumer and energy sectors drag Australian share prices lower
The Australian share market ended Tuesday with a lower closing price, due to thin trading. This was mainly caused by the consumer and energy sector, where heavyweight constituents were traded ex-dividend. Local traders also remained on the sidelines, waiting for economic growth figures that are expected later this week. The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.3% to 8,900.6, its third consecutive session in red. The 0.5% drop on Monday followed a strong August. Woolworths, the supermarket chain, fell 3.1%. Consumer stocks dropped 1.7%.
Climate group: Methane emissions in Brazil's beef-rich country are increasing
Brazil's methane emission increased by 6% between the years 2020 and 2023. The world's biggest beef exporter released 21,1 million tons of this potent greenhouse gas. This was the second highest level in history. According to a report released on Wednesday by the Climate Observatory, 34 of Brazil's total methane emissions are attributed to the beef and dairy cattle industry. This accounted for approximately 14,5 million tons in 2023. That is the equivalent of 406 millions tons of CO2 equivalent. The Climate Observatory reported that this figure was higher than all greenhouse gases produced by Italy during the same period.
New Zealand lifts the ban on oil and Gas Exploration imposed by Ardern
The New Zealand parliament passed legislation on Thursday to reopen New Zealand for offshore oil exploration. This lifted a ban placed by the former prime minister Jacinda Ardern. The law allows companies to apply for permits as early as September, even if they are not located in Taranaki. This energy-rich region of the North Island is a rich source of petroleum. Environmental groups have said that the decision to restart the exploration is a setback to the country's move to renewable energy. In 2018, the centre left Labour government…
New Zealand Government plans to coinvest in new gasfield projects
The government of New Zealand announced its budget for Thursday that it will co-invest with other countries in developing new gas fields. This is to encourage investment in the sector following the lifting of the offshore exploration ban. Shane Jones, Minister of Resources, said that the government had set aside NZ$200,000,000 ($118.60,000,000) for four years as a contingency to co-invest in new gasfields. The minister added that this investment shows the government's willingness to invest up to 15% in the development of new gas fields. Jones stated that "we are already feeling the pain" of a limited supply.
Australian shares end five-day rally after miners drag; Woolworths increases consumer staples
Australian shares fell on Thursday, ending a five-day rally, as mining stocks weighed down the benchmark. Consumer staples rose, led by Woolworths, the country's largest grocer, which reported better-than expected third-quarter sales. By 0040 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 Index was down 0.1% to 8,116.10 point. The benchmark index rose by 0.7% on Tuesday. The local exchange saw the biggest drop in the benchmark index, with a 1.6% decline, as the iron ore futures fell amid fears of steel production cuts by China, the top steel consumer. BHP Group, the world's largest listed mining company, fell 2.2% while Rio Tinto dropped 1.7%.
New Zealand rejects Contact Energy's Wind Farm Project
Contact Energy announced on Tuesday that a New Zealand regulatory agency has refused to approve its consent application for the proposed 330 Megawatt 55 Turbine Southland Wind Farm Project. The project's resource consent was denied by an independent expert Consenting Panel, convened in accordance with the COVID-19 Recovery Act 2020 (Fast Track Consenting Act 2020) of the country. The act provides that the Environmental Protection Authority of the country advises the panel and provides administrative support, but does not involve the panel in its decision-making processes.
Australia shares gain for the second straight session, as energy and tech leads gains
Tuesday saw Australian shares rise for the second session in a row, boosted by energy and technology stocks. Rising oil prices, and Wall Street's positive lead, also helped to boost sentiment. By 2335 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 Index had risen 0.6% to 7,904.2. The benchmark closed Monday 0.8% higher. The energy sub-index on the local exchange increased by 1.5%, as oil prices continued to rise due to escalating geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East. Meanwhile, stronger Chinese economic data also boosted demand expectations. Woodside Energy, a major sector player, and Santos both added 1,2% and 0,6% respectively.
Australian shares gain modestly as commodities support
Australian shares rose on Monday and hovered below the important 8,000-level as commodities fueled a slight recovery in the benchmark index after a selloff in the previous session amid market uncertainty. As of 2341 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.2% to 7963.8. The benchmark index fell 1.8% on Friday to close below 8,000 for the first six-month period, amid uncertainty about global trade. Energy stocks gained nearly 1% in tandem with a recovery of crude oil prices after U.S. president Donald Trump warned about sanctions against Russia, a major oil producer, raising fears over possible disruptions to commodity's supply chains.
Nine Entertainment is the top gainer among Australian shares.
Australian shares rose Friday on the back of gains in energy and mining stocks, as well as strong commodity prices. Nine Entertainment was the biggest gainer, after Domain Holdings Australia, which owns 60%, received a purchase offer. As of 0026 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 was up by 0.1% to 8,333.1. The benchmark index has lost 2.6% in the first week. Iron ore prices rose overnight, causing miners to gain as much as 1.5 percent. BHP Group and Rio Tinto gained between 0.2% and 1,6% on Friday. The strong oil price has led to a 1.5% increase in energy stocks.
Ravindra, a New Zealand cricketer who was hit by a ball in the face, is back to training.
Rachin Ravindra, a New Zealand all-rounder who was struck by a ball during a fielding accident and suffered a concussion, has returned to training but still needs to complete the concussion protocol before he can return to the field. Ravindra was struck in the head during a warm up match for the Champions Trophy in Lahore on Saturday after he lost sight of the football in the floodlights while attempting to catch it. Stead said that although Ravindra had passed his initial Head Injury Assessment (HIA), he suffered headaches over the next few days. He would have to pass further HIAs before he could be declared fit.
Australian shares are led higher by banks and retailers.
Australian shares followed Wall Street's rise on Thursday. Financial stocks and consumer discretionary companies led the charge, after investor concerns about a global war of trade began to fade. As of 2350 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 Index rose by 0.9% to 8,490.7. The benchmark closed Wednesday 0.5% higher. Overnight the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the U.S. rose 0.71%. The S&P 500 increased by 0.39%. Nasdaq gained 0.19%. Investors ignored the comments of President Donald Trump, who said that the U.S. wanted to develop the economically-destroyed Gaza Strip.
Rio Tinto shares fall on merger failure reports; banks weigh down on Australia's shares
The Australian share market fell Friday due to the fall in banking stocks, and Rio Tinto's decline on news of failed merger talks with Glencore. The S&P/ASX 200 ended the week 0.2% lower, at 8,310.4. The benchmark closed the week with a 0.2% gain. After reports that failed merger talks had taken place between the No. The world's No. 2 miner, Glencore, is one of the largest miners in coal and base metals. The financial sector led the declines in Friday's market, with a 1% drop to record their worst week since four. The "big four" banks dropped between 1.2% and 1.8%.
Australian shares flat: Rio Tinto drags down miners after merger talks
Australian shares were flat on Friday. Gains in healthcare companies were offset by losses among miners. Rio Tinto fell on speculation about early merger talks with London listed smaller rival Glencore. S&P/ASX 200 index fell marginally 0.1% at 8,322.2 points as of 2322 GMT. The benchmark index is on course to record its second consecutive weekly increase. Rio Tinto shares dropped 1.21% after reports of short, unsuccessful merger discussions with Glencore in late 2017. This was despite speculations by Bloomberg News that early-stage talks were ongoing.