Environment news

• Folsom Prison tarantula named after Johnny Cash

  04-02-2016 23:58
  
  A new tarantula has been named after Johnny Cash, the singer, because of its proximity to Folsom and its black appearance
  
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• Data gaps hinder explanation for Alaska seabird die-off

  04-02-2016 23:12
  
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A preliminary investigation into the massive die-off of common murres, one of the Northern Hemisphere's most abundant seabirds, off Alaska's coast is revealing gaps in basic information on North Pacific waters and the wildlife that inhabit them.
  
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• New tarantula named after Johnny Cash

  04-02-2016 23:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Among 14 newly described species of tarantula is Aphonopelma johnnycashi, which lives near Folsom Prison in California.
  
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• U.S. assets to track expected North Korean space launch - Carter

  04-02-2016 22:40
  NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada (Reuters) - The United States will position its missile defence assets to track an expected North Korean missile launch, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Thursday. Carter declined comment any specific plans to move a large Sea-based X-Band radar to a different location or position Navy ships in the region ahead of the launch. He said the United States remained concerned about North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs. (Reporting by Andrea Shala
  
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• Whale washes up and dies on Norfolk beach in sixth UK stranding in weeks

  04-02-2016 21:50 via theguardian.com
  
  Experts say the huge mammal stranded on Hunstanton beach died, despite the tide refloating itAnother sperm whale has become stranded on the east coast of England, the sixth to wash up on British shores in recent weeks.The huge mammal washed up at Hunstanton beach in Norfolk and died on Thursday evening, according to British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).Continue reading...
  
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• Sperm whale washes up on Norfolk beach – video

  04-02-2016 20:29 via theguardian.com
  
  A sperm whale is stranded on a beach in Hunstanton, Norfolk, the sixth to wash up on British shores in recent weeks. One bystander, who discovered the male whale early on Thursday morning, says its condition is rapidly deteriorating. Due to its size and weight, rescuers are unable to help the whale. Experts say the chance that the whale could survive is slim Continue reading...
  
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• Shell pushes back investment decision on Canadian LNG project

  04-02-2016 20:13
  By Julie Gordon VANCOUVER (Reuters) - British Columbia's ambitions to become North America's next major liquefied natural gas exporter took another hit on Thursday, as Royal Dutch Shell pushed back a final investment decision (FID) on its LNG Canada project to late 2016. The delay came as Europe's largest oil company reported its lowest annual income in over a decade and said it would take further steps to cut costs to cope with weak oil prices if needed. LNG Canada, located on British Columbia'
  
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• Total conducting seismic testing on Congo oil block

  04-02-2016 20:04
  French oil major Total is conducting seismic testing on a block it operates in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a company spokeswoman confirmed on Thursday, making it the first oil major to conduct such testing in the country. Congo produces just 25,000 barrels of oil per day along its Atlantic coast in the west but hopes that further exploration offshore and near Lake Albert, which straddles the eastern border with Uganda, will boost that figure significantly in coming years. Total ac
  
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• Colombia warns on Zika baby risk

  04-02-2016 19:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Health officials in Colombia are warning that as many as 600 babies could be born with microcephaly this year.
  
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• Saudi currency devaluation would carry major political risk

  04-02-2016 19:39
  By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - A devaluation of Saudi Arabia's currency could cause such political instability that Riyadh has little choice but to stick to its promise to use vast foreign exchange reserves to defend the riyal's 30-year-old peg to the U.S. dollar. Societe Generale said on Thursday it saw at least a 25 percent chance of a near-term devaluation or 40 percent if oil prices stay at current levels throughout 2016. "Devaluation of the currency or depegging would self-inflict des
  
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• Oil falls in volatile trade amid weak dollar, producer meet uncertainty

  04-02-2016 19:22
  By Devika Krishna Kumar NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices were volatile on Thursday, reversing earlier gains as scepticism that cash-strapped OPEC member Venezuela's effort to lobby crude producers for output cuts would succeed offset a weakening dollar. The dollar extended its drop for a second day, making greenback-denominated commodities cheaper for holders of other currencies, with the dollar index hitting its lowest level in more than 3-1/2 months on continued skepticism that the Federal Rese
  
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• Kalligrammatid lacewings looked like butterflies, but lived millions of years before butterflies

  04-02-2016 19:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  New fossils found in Northeastern China have revealed a remarkable evolutionary coincidence: an extinct group of insects known as Kalligrammatid lacewings (Order Neuroptera) share an uncanny resemblance to modern day butterflies (Order Lepidoptera). Even though they vanished some 50 million years before butterflies appeared on earth, they possess the same wing shape and pigment hues, wing spots and eyespots, body scales, long proboscides, and similar feeding styles as butterflies.A photo of the
  
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• Missing Scottish osprey found 3,000 miles away in Senegal

  04-02-2016 17:59 via theguardian.com
  
  Tagged male bird from nature reserve near Forfar spotted on a beach in west Africa after 18 monthsAn osprey that went missing from a Scottish nature reserve for more than 18 months has been found almost 3,000 miles away – on a beach in Senegal. The three-year-old male bird, known as Blue YD, was tagged with a lightweight satellite tracker in July 2012 at a Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) reserve near Forfar.Continue reading...
  
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• Card Factory defends plastic bag tax avoidance

  04-02-2016 17:46
  
  Greetings cards retailer Card Factory has fended off criticism of it's decision to sell plastic bags without handles as a way of avoiding the 5p carrier bag charge.
  
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• 4 New 'Flatworm' Species: No Brains, No Eyes, No Problem

  04-02-2016 17:41
  
  Four new species of deep-sea flatwormlike animals that look like deflated whoopee cushions and lack complex organs have helped solve a complicated puzzle about their group's placement on the tree of life, scientists found.  
  
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• Let’s make this a real ‘leap’ year, and go fossil fuel-free | Naomi Klein

  04-02-2016 17:02 via theguardian.com
  
  The Leap Manifesto is an unashamedly radical plan to convert the world to 100% renewable energy, fast. And you can be a part of itLeap day is coming up at the end of the month – remember this one?“Thirty days hath September,
  April, June, and November.
  All the rest have thirty one,
  except February, on its own,
  which has twenty eight most times.
  And in a leap year, twenty nine.” Continue reading...
  
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• Major UK coal power plant closure 'will not lead to blackouts'

  04-02-2016 16:20 via theguardian.com
  
  Consumers assured that electricity supplies for this winter will remain unaffected by closure of most of Fiddler’s Ferry near ManchesterThe UK government and the electricity regulator moved on Thursday to reassure consumers that they will not face blackouts as the result of the closure of most of a major coal power plant.Operator SSE said the closure of three out of four generation units at the 2GW Fiddler’s Ferry near Manchester, which has made financial losses for two years, was li
  
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• Oil rises above $35 on dollar, potential producer meeting

  04-02-2016 16:07
  By Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - Oil extended a rally above $35 a barrel on Thursday, adding to the previous session's 7 percent jump, as support from a weaker dollar offset concern about ample supply and record-high U.S. inventories. Crude rebounded from an earlier decline after an Iranian official was quoted as saying Tehran supported a meeting between OPEC and other oil producers - raising hopes they could take action to support prices despite widespread scepticism in the market. The dollar
  
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• Car fumes are killing us. So why isn’t anyone telling us to not drive? | Susanna Rustin

  04-02-2016 14:04 via theguardian.com
  
  The health risks from vehicle air pollution are well-known: heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer. It’s time to follow the mayor of Paris – and ban motorists when necessaryOne in three cars in Britain runs on diesel, and 95% of diesel cars emit more nitrogen oxides than is legally allowed, according to tests done by consumer group Which? (Fifteen 15 times more in the case of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, 47 of which I found for sale secondhand within 15 miles of my home when I searched.)Two
  
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• Car fumes are killing us. So why isn’t anyone telling us not to drive? | Susanna Rustin

  04-02-2016 14:04 via theguardian.com
  
  The health risks from vehicle air pollution are well known: heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer. It’s time to follow the mayor of Paris – and ban motorists when necessaryOne in three cars in Britain runs on diesel, and 95% of diesel cars emit more nitrogen oxides than is legally allowed, according to tests done by consumer group Which? (Fifteen 15 times more in the case of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, 47 of which I found for sale secondhand within 15 miles of my home when I searched.)Two
  
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• Shell ready for more cost cuts as earnings fall 87 percent on weak oil prices

  04-02-2016 13:43
  By Karolin Schaps and Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell , Europe's largest oil company, reported its lowest annual income in over a decade on Thursday and said it would take further steps to cut costs to cope with weak oil prices if needed. Shell, whose shareholders last week approved its takeover of rival BG Group , said 2015 income fell 87 percent to $1.94 billion (1.33 billion pound), in line with analysts' estimates, as its oil and gas production unit took a big hit from slumpi
  
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• Loss of wild flowers matches pollinator decline

  04-02-2016 13:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  The first Britain-wide assessment of the value of wild flowers as food for pollinators shows that decreasing resources mirror the decline of pollinating insects.
  
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• Oil slips below $35 on glut, scepticism over talk of producer meet

  04-02-2016 13:10
  By Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - Oil slipped below $35 a barrel on Thursday after the previous session's 7 percent jump, pressured by oversupply and scepticism that Venezuela's effort to lobby crude producers for output cuts would succeed. Crude gained some support from a weaker dollar, which fell further on speculation the Federal Reserve might not raise interest rates this year. A falling dollar tends to support oil and other dollar-denominated commodities.
  
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• Whale washes up on Norfolk beach in sixth UK stranding in weeks

  04-02-2016 12:48 via theguardian.com
  
  Experts say the huge mammal stranded on Hunstanton beach cannot be moved and is unlikely to survive Another sperm whale has become stranded on the east coast of England, the sixth to wash up on British shores in recent weeks.The huge mammal is stranded at Hunstanton beach in Norfolk and is still alive but is unlikely to survive, according to British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).Continue reading...
  
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• Sixth whale stranded on East Anglian beach

  04-02-2016 12:48 via theguardian.com
  
  The huge mammal, which was washed up on Hunstanton beach, is unlikely to survive, experts say Another sperm whale has become stranded on the east coast of England, the sixth to wash up on British shores in recent weeks.The huge mammal, which is still alive, is stranded at Hunstanton beach in Norfolk and is unlikely to survive, said British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).Continue reading...
  
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• Morocco to switch on first phase of world's largest solar plant

  04-02-2016 12:47 via theguardian.com
  
  Desert complex will provide electricity for over 1 million people when complete, helping African country to supply most of its energy from renewables by 2030Morocco’s king will switch on the first phase of a concentrated solar power plant on Thursday that will become the world’s largest when completed.The power station on the edge of the Saharan desert will be the size of the country’s capital city by the time it is finished in 2018, and provide electricity for 1.1 million peop
  
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• Remote-controlled camera captures footage of only known wild jaguar in the US

  04-02-2016 12:37
  The only known wild jaguar in the United States has made his video debut, captured on a remote sensor camera outside of Tucson, Arizona, and giving wildlife experts more insight into the movements of the elusive cat, experts said on 3 February. The jaguar, known as El Jefe, has been photographed repeatedly in Arizona's Santa Rita Mountains over the past few years, but had never been captured on video, according to two conservation groups. The massive cat, with a shiny, spotted coat, was an adult
  
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• Costa Rica's best and brightest hummingbirds – in pictures

  04-02-2016 12:30 via theguardian.com
  
  These distinctive and noisy birds come in hundreds of varieties – you can find about 50 types in Costa Rica, each with tiny beating wings and bright plumageContinue reading...
  
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• South African rangers seek to track rhinos in wildlife park

  04-02-2016 12:23
  
  KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, South Africa (AP) — Rangers in a major South African wildlife park recently darted a rhino to install a tracking device on the threatened animal as part of efforts to stop poaching.
  
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• Google and Ministry of Defence testing solar-powered drones

  04-02-2016 11:37
  
  The world's skylines could soon be littered with high-altitude, autonomous, solar-powered drones after it was revealed that tech giant Google and the UK Ministry of Defence have acquired drones in efforts to boost communication methods.
  
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• Spanish drapery from branch and brush

  04-02-2016 11:36 via theguardian.com
  
  Bishop Auckland, Co Durham It’s as if giant hands twisted the trunk, the tree acquiring the youthful exuberance of a swirling flamenco skirtThis market town, whose fortune waxed and waned with that of the coal industry, is soon to become an international centre for Spanish art. For 250 years Auckland Castle, formerly the palace of the bishops of Durham, has been home to paintings by the Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán.By 2018 Zurbarán’s works will be joined by thos
  
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• SSE set to close most of major coal power plant

  04-02-2016 11:26 via theguardian.com
  
  Fiddler’s Ferry near Manchester likely to close in April, says energy company as cheap gas prices and renewable energy surge price coal out of UKBritish power producer SSE said it would likely close most of the units at its 1,995-megawatt Fiddler’s Ferry coal-fired plant from 1 April, despite gaining a government capacity contract designed to incentivise back-up plants to stay online. SSE said its 45-year-old station near Manchester had been loss-making for two years and was expected
  
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• European lawmakers back limited reduction in car emissions

  04-02-2016 11:22
  
  European lawmakers on Wednesday (3 February) backed a compromise deal to reduce car emissions that will still allow vehicles to exceed official pollution limits, defying calls for more radical reform following Volkswagen's emissions-test cheating scandal.
  
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• Oil rises further above $35 on dollar, talk of producer meet

  04-02-2016 11:12
  By Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - Oil rallied further above $35 a barrel on Thursday, adding to the previous session's 7 percent jump, as support from a weaker dollar offset concern about ample supply and record-high U.S. inventories. Crude also gained as Venezuela's oil minister, on a tour to lobby for steps to boost prices, appeared to be gaining support from more members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and outside producers for a meeting. The dollar weakened further o
  
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• Swindon set to offer UK's first council solar bonds

  04-02-2016 10:59
  
  Swindon Council is considering a new community solar project that would offer residents a 6% return on any investment for the next 20 years.
  
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• Shell vows more cuts as annual profit sinks on weak oil prices

  04-02-2016 10:47
  By Ron Bousso and Karolin Schaps LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell , Europe's largest oil company, reported its lowest annual income in at least 13 years on Thursday, vowing to take further steps to weather the worst downturn in over a decade. "Shell will take further impactful decisions to manage through the oil price downturn, should conditions warrant that," Chief Executive Ben van Beurden said in a statement. Shell's earnings are the latest demonstration of how badly oil producers are suf
  
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• FTSE 100 gets boost after weak dollar helps commodities

  04-02-2016 10:36
  By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - FTSE 100 rallied on Thursday, rebounding from the previous session's falls after a drop in the dollar boosted commodity prices and gave a lift to mining and oil shares. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 36.50 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,873.64 by 0926 GMT, set to snap a three-day losing streak that had seen the index shed 4 percent. The rally in oil prices came even after data showed the oil market remained oversupplied.
  
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• Pictures of the day: February 4 2016

  04-02-2016 10:31
  
  Meerkat pups born Down Under, new Pussy Riot video and a cuddly sloth
  
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• The time is NOW for green innovation and creative destruction, says Forum for the Future

  04-02-2016 09:45
  
  EXCLUSIVE: The world needs to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to incrementalism and embrace innovation and creative destruction if we are to achieve the bold emission reduction pledges set out at the Paris climate talks.
  
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• Get a room! Tokyo zoo's bashful pandas try for a baby

  04-02-2016 09:13
  
  Two giant pandas at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo have been given some private time in a bid to create a romantic environment in which the bashful creatures can mate.
  
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• Combined sugar and carbon tax could reduce UK emissions by 19 million tonnes

  04-02-2016 08:54
  
  By combining a sugar tax on soft drinks with a food-based carbon tax, the UK could raise £3.6bn in revenue; reduce carbon emissions by 19 million tonnes annually and increase life expectancy, researchers from Oxford University have claimed.
  
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• £13.5m hydro project underway in the Highlands

  04-02-2016 08:30
  
  Scottish renewable energy company Green Highland Renewables has started work on a £13.5m hydropower scheme in the Scottish Highlands.
  
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• Shell posts lowest income in at least 13 years as oil price takes toll

  04-02-2016 08:28
  LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell , Europe's largest oil company, reported its lowest annual income in at least 13 years on Thursday as slumping oil prices hit profits. Shell, whose shareholders last week approved its takeover of rival BG Group , said 2015 income fell 87 percent year on year to $1.94 billion, in line with analysts' estimates. Shell's fourth quarter current cost of supplies (CCS)earnings excluding identified items, its preferred way of measuring profits, fell 44 percent to $1.
  
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• Why my cycling clothing company uses models without helmets

  04-02-2016 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The debate about helmet use is too often toxic, puts off new riders and obscures more important issues, argues the founder of VulpineLet me begin with a story.Last night I walked into a pub and spotted a guy with two empty pint glasses in front of him. He had a lovely fresh third pint poised at his trembling lips. Fantastic, just what I was looking for. Continue reading...
  
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• Adani freezes investment in Carmichael mine until world coal price recovers

  04-02-2016 07:49 via theguardian.com
  
  Briefings spark speculation company might abandon plans for mine altogether amid move into solar projects worth US$16bnAdani has frozen its investment in Australia’s largest proposed coalmine until world coal prices show a clear recovery, its executives have indicated in stock analyst briefings in India. The briefings even gave rise to speculation that Adani Enterprises, which has previously flagged spending $4.1bn on the Carmichael mine in north Queensland, might abandon its plans for the
  
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• US electricity industry's use of coal fell to historic low in 2015 as plants closed

  04-02-2016 06:01 via theguardian.com
  
  The biggest source of climate pollution dropped to 34% of US electricity generation and co-author of a new report says: ‘These are permanent changes’ America’s use of coal for electricity dropped to its lowest point in the historical record in 2015, delivering a new blow to an industry already in painful decline.
  The dirtiest of fossil fuels and America’s biggest single source of climate pollution, coal accounted for just 34% of US electricity generation last year, accord
  
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• Crocodile caught on Townsville tourist beach is 'macho dude' with one eye and three teeth

  04-02-2016 04:17 via theguardian.com
  
  The 4.7-metre saltwater crocodile captured near homes and parks was a ‘bit of bruiser’, say wildlife staff, and bore the scars of a lifetime fighting over territory A large crocodile caught at a tourist beach near the centre of Townsville is a “macho dude” who has one eye and three teeth, according to wildlife protection staff who caught him.It took state environment workers hours to capture the 4.7m-long saltie – assumed to be a male due to its size – in fron
  
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• Paris deal could 'displace millions'

  04-02-2016 02:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A global deal to limit emissions of carbon dioxide could make millions of forest dwellers homeless, according to a new analysis.
  
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• Crocodile turns up for a swim on Queensland beach near Cairns – video

  04-02-2016 02:39 via theguardian.com
  
  Luke Downes captured this footage of ‘Snapper Jr’ casually floating towards swimmers at Kewarra beach near Cairns. While filming, Downes offered the crocodile a friendly greeting, but Snapper Jr didn’t stick around for long. Never fear, a wildlife expert has claimed that there are worse things in the water to worry about in that part of the world, like box jellyfish, which are capable of killing a person in under five minutes Continue reading...
  
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• Oil prices extend gains on dollar-slide, talk of oil producer meeting

  04-02-2016 02:31
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Crude oil futures extended gains from the previous session on Thursday, as a weaker dollar and unconfirmed talk of producers potentially meeting to discuss output cuts lifted the market despite record U.S. stocks. U.S. crude futures were trading at $32.68 per barrel at 0119 GMT on Thursday, up 40 cents from the previous session's close when they rallied 8 percent from below $30 per barrel. Brent crude was up 43 cents at $35.47 per barrel.
  
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