MELBOURNE / Reuters The Australian government warned that the country’s east faced a worse-than-expected natural gas shortfall in 2018, but the competition watchdog said the gap could easily be filled by diverting uncontracted exports to the local market. It is now up to the government to decide by November 1 whether to pull the trigger on its Australian Domestic Gas …

Bloomberg The torrent of dirty water coming out of almost every American oil well is the next big bet for a former fund manager for billionaire Paul Allen. Getting rid of wastewater from onshore wells has become an increasingly costly problem for oil producers as US crude output surged in recent years, especially in the new shale fields from Texas …

Bloomberg The rush to upgrade smartphones may be ebbing, prompting economists to dial back the outlook for Asian exporters. Early indications, including signs of disappointing orders, point to a mixed reaction to the latest iPhones, hurting the share prices of Apple Inc.’s Asia-based suppliers. Given that smartphone improvements help power demand for electronics components from supply-chain powerhouses such as South …