Environment news

• China warns UK over 18 billion pound nuclear power deal - FT

  08-08-2016 23:54
  (Reuters) - China has warned Britain that bilateral ties stand at a "crucial historical juncture" over London's deferral of an 18 billion pound nuclear power project, the Financial Times reported on Monday. China's Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming wrote in the FT that he hoped London would keep its door open to China and that the British government would continue to support the nuclear project and come to a decision as soon as possible.
  
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• A Troubling Snag in the Comeback of the California Condor

  08-08-2016 23:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  IN THE EARLY ’80s, the California condor almost scavenged its way to extinction. The grisly-looking birds survive off the remains of animals, often leftovers shot by hunters. But those hunters often used lead ammunition. Condors were dying of lead poisoning, their numbers dropping as low as 22.In one of conservation’s greatest success stories, a frantic captive breeding program brought the huge, glorious scavenger roaring back; today, the condors number close to 4
  
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• Drought conditions slow the growth of Douglas fir trees across the West

  08-08-2016 23:14 via feedproxy.google.com
  Whether growing along the rim of the Grand Canyon or living in the mist with California's coastal redwoods, Douglas fir trees are consistently sensitive to drought conditions that occur throughout the species' range in the United States, according to a study led by a researcher at the University of California, Davis.The study, published Aug. 8 in the journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides direct evidence of the negative impact of water stress on forest ecosystems. It al
  
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• Lake Tanganyika fisheries declining from global warming

  08-08-2016 22:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  The decrease in fishery productivity in Lake Tanganyika since the 1950s is a consequence of global warming rather than just overfishing, according to a new report from an international team led by a University of Arizona geoscientist.The lake was becoming warmer at the same time in the 1800s the abundance of fish began declining, the team found. The lake's algae - fish food - also started decreasing at that time.
  
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• Oil up nearly 3 percent on OPEC output speculation as glut grows

  08-08-2016 22:02
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices settled up nearly 3 percent on Monday amid renewed speculation that OPEC would try to restrain output, easing oversupply worries that pressured the market to three-month lows last week. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that OPEC countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Kuwait want to take another stab at cooperation between the 14-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-members such as Russia. Qatar's Energy Mi
  
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• Italy's anti-trust agency fines Volkswagen over diesel emissions

  08-08-2016 21:55
  Italy's anti-trust agency said on Monday it had fined German carmaker Volkswagen 5 million euros (4 million pounds) for allegedly misinforming car buyers about diesel emissions results. The Italian watchdog said it would impose the highest fine in its power on Volkswagen, which it said had marketed diesel-powered cars that had been tested for polluting emissions using a software that gave artificially low results. Volkswagen (VW) said it plans to challenge the fine at an administrative court.
  
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• Decline of fishing in Lake Tanganyika 'due to warming'

  08-08-2016 21:48 via bbc.co.uk
  
  New research blames rising temperatures over the last century as the key cause of decline in Lake Tanganyika, one of the world's most important fisheries.
  
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• SM Energy doubles Permian Basin acreage with $980 million buy

  08-08-2016 21:20
  SM Energy Co said on Monday it would pay more than $980 million (751 million pounds) to double its holdings in the prolific Permian Basin in Texas, showing that some oil producers are still willing to spend big on good assets. The deal to buy Rock Oil Holdings LLC from private equity firm Riverstone Holdings LLC will give SM Energy 24,783 acres in Howard County. SM Energy already has about 20,000 acres in the Permian Basin.
  
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• NASA sees Tropical Storm Javier form in the Eastern Pacific

  08-08-2016 21:06 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tropical Storm Javier formed on Aug. 7, 2016 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off Mexico's western coast. Javier formed partially from the remnants of Hurricane Earl. NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement core satellite found that Javier contained heavy rain. On Aug. 8, Javier triggered hurricane and tropical storm warnings.Landslides caused by heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Earl caused the reported deaths of at least 39 people in eastern Mexico. That kind of rainfall was now seen i
  
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• Oil ends up nearly 3 percent on OPEC speculation as glut grows

  08-08-2016 21:05
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices settled up nearly 3 percent on Monday amid renewed speculation that OPEC would try to restrain output, easing oversupply worries that pressured the market to three-month lows last week. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that OPEC countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Kuwait want to take another stab at cooperation between the 14-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-members such as Russia. Qatar's Energy Mi
  
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• Okinawa mozuku: The treasure under the sea

  08-08-2016 20:57 via feedproxy.google.com
  Mozuku is a unique Okinawan seaweed. Scientifically known as Cladosiphon okamuranus, this alga is popular in Japanese cuisine, and it has been farmed for more than 35 years. The cultivation of this seaweed is a key element in the economy of Okinawa: in 2006, the Japanese Cabinet Office estimated a 20,000 ton production, with an economic value of billions of Yen. 99% of this seaweed is produced in Okinawa, almost entirely farmed by humans. When in 2015 the production dropped for causes relat
  
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• Making a solar energy conversion breakthrough with help from a ferroelectrics pioneer

  08-08-2016 20:32 via feedproxy.google.com
  Designers of solar cells may soon be setting their sights higher, as a discovery by a team of researchers has revealed a class of materials that could be better at converting sunlight into energy than those currently being used in solar arrays. Their research shows how a material can be used to extract power from a small portion of the sunlight spectrum with a conversion efficiency that is above its theoretical maximum -- a value called the Shockley-Queisser limit. This finding, which could lead
  
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• How much is Britain prepared to pay to protect its wildlife? | Patrick Barkham

  08-08-2016 19:58 via theguardian.com
  
  Farmers do crucial conservation work for species like the stone curlew. But will we pick up the tab when EU funding dries up?I’ve been stared at by the strangest bird in Britain. The yellow, goggle-eyed gaze of the stone curlew was once believed to cure jaundice. People would pay to be eyeballed by one. Nowadays the stone curlew is so rare that many bird lovers make pilgrimages to the few nature reserves where they can make eye contact. But the stone curlew is becoming more eye-catching &n
  
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• Rio 2016: a beacon of hope for the global climate movement?

  08-08-2016 19:28
  
  The earth's population woke up this morning (8 August) to the news that humanity has overshot its annual budget for natural resources four months early. But will the daunting realisations of 'Earth Overshoot Day' finally shift into the mainstream thanks to high-profile events such as the Rio 2016 Olympics?
  
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• EDF decision on Hinkley Point should be declared void, say French unions

  08-08-2016 19:27 via theguardian.com
  
  Senior board members accused of knowing of probable delay in UK government approval before vote on nuclear projectEDF’s decision to invest in the £18bn Hinkley Point should be declared invalid, French trade unions have said, as pressure builds against the troubled nuclear power plant project.A trio of unions at the French firm said senior board members knew that the UK government was considering delaying its final decision on Hinkley, but nothing was said before last month’s vo
  
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• Long-studied Alaskan wolf pack may be dead after years of aggressive hunting

  08-08-2016 19:24 via theguardian.com
  
  East Fork wolf pack, found near Denali, was first researched in the 1930s and had shrunk significantly this year – and it’s now believed all may have perishedThe world’s longest-studied wolf pack may have been wiped out, wildlife officials fear amid an escalating battle between federal and state authorities in Alaska over the aggressive hunting of predators such as wolves and bears.The East Fork wolf pack, found near Denali, North America’s tallest mountain, was first res
  
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• Italy anti-trust fines Volkswagen $5.5 million over emissions

  08-08-2016 18:39
  ROME (Reuters) - Italy's anti-trust agency said on Monday it had fined German carmaker Volkswagen 5 million euros (£4.24 million) for misinforming car buyers about diesel emissions results. The Italian watchdog said it would impose the highest fine in its power on Volkswagen, which it said had marketed diesel-powered cars that had been tested for polluting emissions using a software that gave artificially low results. ...
  
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• Mild UK winter and wet spring produce larger cherries and apricots

  08-08-2016 18:23 via theguardian.com
  
  Sweeter stone fruits abundant alongside lower yields of leafy vegetables due to erratic British weatherShoppers can hope to enjoy a late-summer bounty of bigger and sweeter cherries, apricots and plums, followed by late blackberries, as this year’s fluctuating weather and unpredictable growing conditions have an effect on UK-grown fresh produce.But while farmers have struggled with lower yields from leaf vegetables such as spinach and kale, regional weather variations and imports mean supe
  
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• UK coastguard and salvage experts draft plan to refloat oil rig

  08-08-2016 17:34 via theguardian.com
  
  Transocean Winner ran aground on the west coast of Scotland on Monday as it was being towed from Norway to MaltaThe first attempt to refloat a 17,000 tonne drilling platform which was blown ashore during a storm off the Western Isles could start on Tuesday. The Transocean Winner, which has 280 tonnes of diesel on board, ran aground on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis early on Monday morning as it was being towed from Norway to Malta. Continue reading...
  
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• Oil rig runs aground in storm off Western Isles of Scotland

  08-08-2016 17:34 via theguardian.com
  
  UK coastguard and salvage experts will meet government official on Tuesday to discuss refloating 17,000-tonne platformThe first attempt to refloat a 17,000-tonne drilling platform that was blown ashore during a storm off the Western Isles of Scotland could start on Tuesday. The Transocean Winner, which has 280 tonnes of diesel onboard, ran aground on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis early on Monday morning as it was being towed from Norway to Malta. No one was onboard when the rig’s tow
  
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• Oil up 3 percent on OPEC speculation as glut grows

  08-08-2016 17:22
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped nearly 3 percent on Monday amid renewed speculation that OPEC would try to restrain output, easing oversupply worries had pressured the market to three-month lows last week. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that OPEC countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Kuwait want to take another stab at cooperation between the 14-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-members such as Russia. Qatar's energy ministe
  
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• DNA shows that horse's 'funny walk originated in York'

  08-08-2016 17:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The speedy, almost comical horse step known as an ambling gait originated in England in the middle of the Ninth Century, scientists say.
  
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• Oil prices extend gains, but traders warn of weakness ahead

  08-08-2016 16:43
  By Libby George LONDON (Reuters) - Oil rose further on Monday after a report of renewed calls by some OPEC members to restrain output, but analysts warned the bearish fundamentals that brought prices to four-month lows last week still lurked. International benchmark Brent futures were trading at $45.17 per barrel at 1404 GMT, up 90 cents, or 2.03 percent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $42.78 per barrel, up 98 cents, or 2.34 percent.
  
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• Riverstone Holdings to sell Rock Oil for $980 million

  08-08-2016 16:03
  (Reuters) - Riverstone Holdings LLC, a private equity firm that focuses on energy and power sectors, said it would sell U.S.-based oil and gas explorer Rock Oil Holdings LLC to SM Energy Co for $980 million (£751.65 million) in cash. SM Energy said the deal would increase its assets in the Midland Basin in Texas to 46,750 acres and add net production of 4,900 barrels of oil per day (boepd). Rock Oil, founded in 2014, has about 24,783 acres in the Permian Basin in Texas.
  
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• Octopus released back into the wild in Scotland – video

  08-08-2016 15:51 via theguardian.com
  
  The Macduff Marine Aquarium releases an octopus into the North Sea in July. The octopus was given to the aquarium after it was caught in a fisherman’s creel by accident. The female octopus was studied for several weeks before being returned to the sea to complete its brief life-cycle Continue reading...
  
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• Nottingham smashes climate targets four years early

  08-08-2016 15:50
  
  Nottingham has surpassed its climate change targets four years early, according to Government data which shows a 33% reduction in the city's carbon emissions since 2005.
  
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• For a secure energy future, there are far better investments than Hinkley | John Sauven

  08-08-2016 15:41 via theguardian.com
  
  The nuclear project is outdated and expensive - the UK should be focussing time and money on renewables, interconnectors, storage, smart grids and efficiency Hinkley Point C, the multibillion pound nuclear deal, years in the making, is on the cusp of unravelling. At the last minute, the government has hit the pause button in order to take a hard look at what Hinkley is offering in return for £37bn of energy consumers’ money.The voices of opposition are growing. Even newspapers which
  
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• Rare 'Whale Fall' Spotted by Deep-Sea Scientists

  08-08-2016 15:32
  
  A rare sight was recently captured by scientists aboard a deep-sea exploration vessel: the skeleton of a fallen whale. "Coming across a natural whale fall is pretty uncommon," a Nautilus researcher said in the video. The ecological impacts of a whale fall are far-reaching.
  
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• Cold-War-Era Toxic Waste Could Be Released by Greenland's Melting Ice

  08-08-2016 15:30
  
  It may sound like a storyline straight out of a Godzilla movie, but researchers are warning that toxic waste from a long-abandoned Cold War-era camp could leach into nearby ecosystems as a result of warming temperatures in Greenland. It was thought that the hazardous waste would stay buried and frozen forever beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, but climate change is warming the Arctic and causing portions of the ice sheet to melt, the researchers reported in a new study. "In the past, militaries, i
  
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• 'Bring us home,' plead Filipino migrants stranded in Saudi Arabia

  08-08-2016 15:22
  By Beh Lih Yi JAKARTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Thousands of Filipino workers stranded in Saudi Arabia due to a massive layoff triggered by a slump in oil prices have pleaded to the Philippine government to expedite their repatriation. Manila said last Friday a team would be sent to the kingdom, which has about 1 million Filipino migrant workers, to provide humanitarian and legal assistance. "That is the initial relief but we are telling the government to concentrate on the repatriation," M
  
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• RSPO re-certifies IOI Group after initial suspension

  08-08-2016 14:47
  
  Palm oil giant IOI has had its sustainability credentials re-certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) following its suspension by the certification body earlier in the year.
  
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• Rare giant panda cub born at Vienna zoo - mother's fourth

  08-08-2016 14:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Another giant panda cub is born at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo - the fourth time that mother Yang Yang has conceived naturally.
  
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• RSPO recertifies IOI group after initial suspension

  08-08-2016 14:28
  Palm oil giant IOI has had its sustainability credentials re-certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) following its suspension by the certification body earlier in the year.
  
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• Riverstone to sell Rock Oil stake for $237 million

  08-08-2016 14:07
  (Reuters) - Britain's energy fund Riverstone Energy Ltd said it would sell its stake in Rock Oil Holdings LLC, a U.S.-based oil and gas explorer, to SM Energy Co for $237 million (£181.78 million). SM Energy said the deal would increase its assets in the Midland Basin in Texas to 46,750 acres and add net production of 4,900 barrels of oil per day (boepd). (Reporting by Pranav Kiran in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
  
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• Boats Are Killing Manatees in Record Numbers

  08-08-2016 14:04 via feedproxy.google.com
  Manatee advocates are raising concerns about the number of these gentle giants who have been killed in Florida this year. They hope that increased vigilance and other measures will help keep this from being the worst year on record.The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has already counted 71 manatees killed by boats as of July 22. The numbers are already higher than they were for the same period in 2009, which was the deadliest year on record with a total of 97 deaths.
  
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• Householders will have to wait at least five years for fracking payments

  08-08-2016 13:59 via theguardian.com
  
  Government says payments, capped at £10m for communities near wells, will not be made until site is up and runningThe government has admitted that payments of up to £10,000 a household for living near a fracking well would not be distributed until a new site begins operating and producing gas – at least five years after exploration begins.In a consultation on the shale wealth fund published on Monday, officials said that payments would be capped at £10m for each community
  
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• Candidates sought for Scotland's third 'Zero Waste Town'

  08-08-2016 13:49
  
  Zero Waste Scotland are seeking candidates to apply for the title of Scotland's third 'Zero Waste Town' by demonstrating a commitment to circular economy principles.
  
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• RSPB calls on UK Government to commit to offshore renewable energy projects

  08-08-2016 13:32
  
  The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has called on the UK Government to renew its commitment to supporting renewables, with an emphasis on "deep water" energy, on the same day that a consultation on renewable energy support closes.
  
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• Bolivian national park serving up sustainable ingredients for fine dining

  08-08-2016 13:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Chefs among travellers proving there is demand for produce from Madidi – and helping communities understand commercial potential of their flora and fauna Deep in Bolivia’s Madidi national park, Kamilla Seidler – the head chef of the Gustu restaurant in La Paz – was looking at a basket of cusí, the fruit of the babassu palm. An oil processed from the seeds is already marketed as a hair and skin product, but Seidler suspected it could have culinary potential, too.
  &l
  
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• Unlocking the mystery of Gabon's cuckoo migration – in pictures

  08-08-2016 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Earlier this year photojournalist Toby Smith followed a group of migrating cuckoos to the forests of Gabon, west Africa. His images document the African landscapes in which the globally dwindling cuckoo population spends its winter months away from the UK, and will help conservationists understand how land use change is affecting birds Continue reading...
  
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• Virgin Media and Heineken USA revolutionise CSR reporting with gamification and 360-degree video

  08-08-2016 12:30
  
  EXCLUSIVE: As investors, campaign groups and consumers continue to pile pressure on companies to accelerate progress towards ambitious climate goals, some of the stalwarts of sustainability reporting are beginning to look beyond traditional methods of disclosure to drive stakeholder engagement with their CSR reports.
  
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• Virgin Media and Heineken revolutionise CSR reporting with gamification and 360-degree video

  08-08-2016 12:30
  
  EXCLUSIVE: As investors, campaign groups and consumers continue to pile pressure on companies to accelerate progress towards ambitious climate goals, some of the stalwarts of sustainability reporting are beginning to look beyond traditional methods of disclosure to drive stakeholder engagement with their CSR reports.
  
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• Oil rises on fresh calls for production freeze

  08-08-2016 12:30
  By Libby George LONDON (Reuters) - Oil received a boost on Monday from reports of renewed talks by some OPEC members to restrain output, but analysts warned the bearish fundamentals that brought prices to four-month lows last week still lurked in the background. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $42.35 per barrel, up 55 cents, or 1.32 percent.
  
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• Virgin and Heineken revolutionise CSR reporting with gamification and 360-degree video

  08-08-2016 12:18
  
  EXCLUSIVE: As investors, campaign groups and consumers continue to pile pressure on companies to accelerate progress towards ambitious climate goals, some of the stalwarts of sustainability reporting are beginning to look beyond traditional methods of disclosure to drive stakeholder engagement with their CSR reports.
  
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• Rejection of experts spreads from Brexit to climate change with 'Clexit' | Dana Nuccitelli

  08-08-2016 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Clexit calls for withdrawal from climate treaties, rejects the conclusions of 97% of climate science experts and 95% of economics experts
  Brexit support and climate denial have many similarities. Many Brexit Leave campaign leaders also deny the dangers of human-caused climate change. Older generations were more likely to vote for the UK to leave the EU and are more likely to oppose taking action on climate change; younger generations disagree, and will be forced to live with the consequences of
  
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• More than 60% of Maldives' coral reefs hit by bleaching

  08-08-2016 11:43 via theguardian.com
  
  Scientific survey found all reefs had been affected by high sea surface temperatures, with up to 90% of coral colonies bleached in some areas More than 60% of coral in reefs in the Maldives has been hit by “bleaching” as the world is gripped by record temperatures in 2016, a scientific survey suggests. Bleaching happens when algae that lives in the coral is expelled due to stress caused by extreme and sustained changes in temperatures, turning the coral white and putting it at r
  
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• Oil market on path to rebalancing, OPEC monitoring situation - Qatar

  08-08-2016 11:07
  Qatar's energy minister, and current OPEC president, said on Monday the oil market is on the path to rebalancing despite the recent decline in global oil prices, adding that OPEC was in continuous talks to stabilise the market. "The recent decline observed in oil prices and the current market volatility is only temporary," Mohammad bin Saleh al-Sada, Qatar’s minister of energy and industry said in a statement. "OPEC continues to monitor developments closely, and is in constant deliberation
  
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• Corrected - Oil traders prepare fond farewells to Yahoo Messenger

  08-08-2016 10:39
  (Corrects paragraph 2 in story released on Aug 5, 2016 to say Yahoo Messenger would begin shutting down on Aug. 5 and will stop working on Aug. 31, 2016) By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil traders on Friday were lamenting the imminent demise of their main communication tool, Yahoo Messenger, which has been an industry standard since the late 1990s. Yahoo Inc said last week it would begin shutting down older versions of Yahoo Messenger on Aug. 5 and will stop working on Aug 31. Becaus
  
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• Palm oil giant IOI Group regains RSPO sustainability certification

  08-08-2016 10:27 via theguardian.com
  
  Palm oil producer was stripped of its certification in March 2016 after failing to meet environmental standards, reports BusinessGreenPalm oil supplier IOI Group has had its certificate for sustainable palm oil reinstated by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), after it was judged to have fulfilled the body’s demands to improve its environmental performance.In a statement issued last Friday, the RSPO said the palm oil supplier would be re-instated with its certificate from Monda
  
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• Russia sees no grounds for new talks on oil output freeze yet

  08-08-2016 08:40
  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia, the world's top oil producer, sees no grounds for new talks on freezing oil production yet but is open to negotiations, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Monday. He told reporters: "If other countries raise the issue of a freeze, we are ready to discuss this." "But the position of Russia is that the prerequisites for this have not yet come to pass, considering that prices are still at a more or less normal level." Novak added that talks on freezing output could p
  
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