Environment news

• New images of Jupiter

  02-09-2016 23:49 via bbc.co.uk
  
  NASA has released spectacular images of Jupiter that have never been seen before.
  
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• Clues in ancient mud hold answers to climate change

  02-09-2016 21:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  New research suggests that Africa has gradually become wetter over the past 1.3 million years -- instead of drier as was thought previously.The research from Berke, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame and Environmental Change Initiative affiliate, suggests that Africa has gradually become wetter over the past 1.3 million years -- instead of drier as was thought previously. The findings shine new light on
  
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• Oil up 3 percent as U.S. jobs data hits dollar; tumbles on week

  02-09-2016 21:33
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil settled up nearly 3 percent on Friday after a weak U.S. jobs report hurt the dollar and boosted commodities, but crude prices still ended the week sharply lower on concerns about oversupply. U.S. employment growth eased more than expected in August after two straight months of robust gains, the report showed. After being unchanged last week, the oil rig count provided by industry firm Baker Hughes rose by just one this week as crude prices held below t
  
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• Oil up 3 percent as U.S. jobs data hits dollar, down for week

  02-09-2016 20:21
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose 3 percent on Friday as a report showing weaker U.S. jobs growth in August suppressed the dollar, pushing up commodities, but crude futures remained on track for a big weekly loss on glut concerns. U.S. employment growth eased more than expected last month after two straight months of robust gains and wage gains moderated, casting doubts the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee will raise interest rates at its Sept. 20-21 meeting.
  
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• How the microbead ban could help solve a massive problem – video

  02-09-2016 19:50 via theguardian.com
  
  A poll from Greenpeace found that almost two thirds of people in the UK think microbeads should be banned. The beads are already banned in the US, but are still common in Britain. They’re a threat to marine life and potentially to humans, but the poll also found that most people don’t actually know what they areUK government to ban microbeads from cosmetics by end of 2017Continue reading...
  
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• How a microbead ban could help solve a massive problem – video

  02-09-2016 19:50 via theguardian.com
  
  A poll from Greenpeace found that almost two thirds of people in the UK think microbeads should be banned. The beads are already banned in the US, but are still common in Britain. They’re a threat to marine life and potentially to humans, but the poll also found that most people don’t actually know what they areUK government to ban microbeads from cosmetics by end of 2017Continue reading...
  
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• UK government to ban microbeads from cosmetics by end of 2017

  02-09-2016 18:49 via theguardian.com
  
  Found in beauty products, tiny pieces of plastic which can harm marine life will be banned from sale in the UK from the end of 2017, government will announce Tiny pieces of plastic in personal beauty products, that end up in the oceans and are swallowed by marine life, will be banned from sale in the UK by the end of 2017, the government is to announce on Saturday.The move comes just days after MPs called for a ban on so-called microbeads, and sees the UK following in the footsteps of the US, wh
  
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• Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley elected joint Green Party leaders

  02-09-2016 18:10
  
  Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley have today (2 September) been elected as co-leaders of the Green Party after winning the overwhelming support of the party's membership.
  
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• Juno probe returns close-up Jupiter pictures

  02-09-2016 18:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The US space agency releases pictures and other data from the Juno probe, which has just made its first close approach to Jupiter since going into orbit in July.
  
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• Russia, Japan hold 'in-depth' talks on islands dispute

  02-09-2016 17:51
  By Vladimir Soldatkin and Kiyoshi Takenaka VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on Friday to draw up proposals this year to end a row over a group of disputed islands that has bedevilled relations between their countries for over 70 years. The dispute stems from the Soviet Union's decision, in the final days of World War Two, to seize the islands - known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Ku
  
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• Hawaii and other big marine protected areas 'could work against conservation'

  02-09-2016 17:36 via theguardian.com
  
  The Papahānaumokuākea marine park created by Barack Obama could end up as just a ‘paper park’, argue US and UK marine expertsBritish and US marine scientists say that the race to designate ever-bigger marine national parks in remote parts of the world could work against conservation.
  In an commentary timed to coincide with President Obama’s announcement of the huge extension of a marine park off Hawaii, the authors argue that the creation of very large marine protecti
  
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• Obama talks climate change during Midway Atoll visit – video

  02-09-2016 16:43 via theguardian.com
  
  On Thursday Barack Obama made a trip to Midway Atoll, an unincorporated territory of the US and the site of the second world war’s Battle of Midway against the Japanese navy. Obama also focused on conservation of Midway Atoll against climate change. ‘I look forward to knowing that ... 100 years from now, this is a place where people can still come to and see’ Continue reading...
  
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• Can 'protected areas' offer a safe haven for indigenous peoples?

  02-09-2016 16:43
  By Megan Rowling BARCELONA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - From the Congo Basin to Kenya, India and Paraguay, the designation of forest land as "protected areas" has brought homelessness, hunger and persecution to indigenous peoples who have lived there for centuries, rights experts say, pointing the finger at governments and the conservation groups they work with. In many cases, international conventions and national laws oblige states to respect legal and customary ownership of land by indigeno
  
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• Cutting complexity: edie to host free energy efficiency webinar

  02-09-2016 16:22
  
  Energy managers and sustainability professionals are being invited to tune into a free-to-watch live webinar later this month which will focus on cutting through the complexities of energy management and successfully mapping energy efficiency within organisations large and small.
  
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• Why do lithium batteries explode?

  02-09-2016 16:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Samsung has halted sales of the Galaxy Note 7 because of battery fire reports.
  
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• India soon to make GM mustard stance public, develop more varieties

  02-09-2016 16:19
  By Krishna N. Das and Mayank Bhardwaj NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government will soon make public its stance on allowing the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard - what could be its first transgenic food crop - and "ideology" will not influence the decision, a minister said. The mustard variety has been developed by a group of New Delhi scientists over the past decade, and Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said India would also come up with other GM food as its p
  
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• Asiatic cheetahs, Pope Francis and chicken bones – green news roundup

  02-09-2016 16:12 via theguardian.com
  
  The week’s top environment news stories and green events. If you are not already receiving this roundup, sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox Continue reading...
  
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• Can sustainability professionals spearhead a 'social movement' to drive the green economy?

  02-09-2016 15:35
  
  Environment and sustainability professionals can become the leaders of a new social movement that paves the way for a low-carbon, resource efficient future where fossil fuel consumption and air pollution are eradicated from human activities.
  
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• Can sustainability professionals lead a 'social movement' to drive the green economy?

  02-09-2016 15:35
  
  Environment and sustainability professionals can become the leaders of a new social movement that paves the way for a low-carbon, resource efficient future where fossil fuel consumption and air pollution are eradicated from human activities.
  
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• Turkey formally announces nuclear energy agreement with China

  02-09-2016 15:18
  Turkey published in its official gazette a deal with China for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy on Friday, a step needed to open the way for China to potentially build Turkey's third nuclear power plant. The deal was originally signed in 2012 but such international agreements only go into effect in Turkey once they are published in the gazette. Russia is building Turkey's first nuclear plant, while a Japanese-French consortium will build its second in the north.
  
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• Oil up as US jobs data hits dollar; still headed for weekly loss

  02-09-2016 15:06
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose about 2 percent on Friday as a report showing weaker U.S. jobs growth in August suppressed the dollar, pushing up commodities, but crude futures remained on track for a big weekly loss on glut concerns. U.S. employment growth eased more than expected last month after two straight months of robust gains and as wage gains moderated, which could rule out an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve this month. The dollar index, measured agains
  
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• Will sustainability professionals spearhead a 'social movement' to drive the green economy?

  02-09-2016 14:47
  
  Environment and sustainability professionals can become the leaders of a new social movement that paves the way for a low-carbon, resource efficient future where fossil fuel consumption and air pollution are eradicated from human activities.
  
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• Sadiq Khan joins megacity mayors in call for G20 climate action

  02-09-2016 14:47
  
  London Mayor Sadiq Khan has joined forces with other mayors of major cities within the G20 to call upon national leaders to take urgent action on climate change, as reports suggest that the US and China are set to showcase their commitment to the Paris Agreement in a bilateral meeting tomorrow (3 September).
  
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• Motivating Eco-Friendly Behaviors Depends on Cultural Values

  02-09-2016 14:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  The specific cultural values of a country may determine whether concern about environmental issues actually leads individuals to engage in environmentally friendly behaviors, according to the new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.The findings suggest that individual concern is more strongly associated with motivation to act in countries that espouse individualistic values, while social norms may be a stronger m
  
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• Amazon Dash: does the world really need more little pieces of plastic?

  02-09-2016 14:12 via theguardian.com
  
  The online giant has launched Dash buttons in the UK allowing customers to order product refills but campaigners criticise the tech as wastefulAmazon launched its Dash buttons in the UK and parts of Europe this week. For the price of £4.99 – redeemable from a first order – Amazon Prime subscribers will be able to summon refills of products from Play-Doh to Wilkinson Sword razor blades with a button press.Related: Amazon launches Dash instant-order Internet of Things buttons in
  
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• Oil up but heads for biggest weekly loss in eight months

  02-09-2016 13:01
  Russian President Vladimir Putin told Bloomberg an agreement between oil exporters to freeze output would be the right decision to support the market. Oil producers will discuss a potential production cap again at an informal Sept. 26-28 meeting in Algeria, supporting oil industry hopes for action to prop up prices. "Prices are up on a weaker dollar in the aftermath of the U.S. ISM numbers yesterday and Putin's latest attempt to stabilise the price," said Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen.
  
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• Pacific Islands fail to agree plan to protect tuna

  02-09-2016 12:40 via theguardian.com
  
  Countries from around the Pacific Ocean met to discuss ways of protecting the shrinking supplies but were unable to come to any agreement, officials sayPacific island states and countries failed on Friday to strike a deal to protect shrinking supplies of tuna and adopt cutbacks following a regional conference, officials said, sparking condemnation from conservationists.
  The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest tuna fishing ground, accounting for almost 60% of the global catch. Continue rea
  
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• MEPs shocked by 'secretive' ICAO plan to cut aviation emissions

  02-09-2016 12:15
  
  A six-year delay, exemptions for poor nations, and a gradual phase-in system for participating countries are all being considered as part of talks to curb aviation pollution at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), MEPs discovered at a hearing in Parliament today (1 September).
  
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• Environmental activists still under threat in Honduras six months after Berta Cáceres’ killing

  02-09-2016 11:59 via theguardian.com
  
  Honduras has become a no-go zone for environmental activists after eight people were murdered in 2015 alone, reports IPSChills ran down Tomás Gómez Membreño’s spine when he first heard about the brutal murder of his renowned friend and ally, the Honduran Indigenous leader Berta Cáceres, six months ago this week. Continue reading...
  
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• Oil heads for biggest weekly loss in eight months despite gains

  02-09-2016 11:20
  Russian President Vladimir Putin told Bloomberg an agreement between oil exporters to freeze output would be the right decision to support the market. "Prices are up on a weaker dollar in the aftermath of the U.S. ISM numbers yesterday and Putin's latest attempt to stabilise the price," said Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen.
  
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• DSR is 'fanciful nonsense', says union

  02-09-2016 11:15
  
  GMB has slammed National Grid as being "naively complacent" over its intention to use demand-side response (DSR) to avoid blackouts, and has called for the company to be stripped of its system operator role.
  
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• Putin says all bidders for Bashneft to get equal treatment - Bloomberg

  02-09-2016 11:14
  By Katya Golubkova MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday the government should not discriminate against any market players willing to bid in the privatisation of oil producer Bashneft . Answering a question about interest in Bashneft from oil major Rosneft , Putin said it was not the best option if one state-controlled company acquired another state company, but the key was who gives the most money for the state budget. "Rosneft, strictly speaking, is not a state com
  
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• Russia's economic minister receives proposals on Rosneft privatisation

  02-09-2016 10:28
  VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russian Economy Ministry has received proposals on how to privatise a 19.5 percent stake in Russian state oil company Rosneft , the minister Alexei Ulyukayev told reporters on Friday. The state plans to sell a 19.5 percent stake in Rosneft later this year. Italian bank Intesa is advising on the sale. (Reporting by Denis Pinchuk; writing by Katya Golubkova; editing by Polina Devitt)
  
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• When gardens are razed and paved, house sparrows suffer

  02-09-2016 10:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Kate Bradbury spent 18 months turning her back garden into a wildlife haven, but the loss of a buddleia bush in next door’s plot spells trouble for the sparrowsWhere have all the sparrows gone?It’s quiet in the garden today. Normally the air is filled with the sound of chirruping house sparrows, who take it in turns to drink from the pond or squabble over the feeders when they think I’m not looking. They fly over my head quickly and cautiously, their wings a wet dog shaking the
  
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• Putin says oil output freeze would be right decision - Bloomberg

  02-09-2016 09:42
  By Christian Lowe and Maria Tsvetkova MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said an agreement between oil exporters to freeze output would be the right decision for the global market and Iran should compromise to achieve a deal. Attempts by OPEC and non-OPEC oil exporters to reach a pact on stablising production levels earlier this year foundered because Iran, which is anxious to increase exports after the lifting of international sanctions, declined to participate. "I think that f
  
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• Rosneft, BP, Schlumberger to collaborate on seismic research

  02-09-2016 09:20
  VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russian biggest oil producer Rosneft signed agreements with British oil major BP and top world oilfield services provider Schlumberger for collaboration on seismic research and development, the companies said on Friday. "Under the term of the agreements, Rosneft will join as an equal partner in BP's ongoing project with Schlumberger's seismic business, WesternGeco, to develop innovative cableless onshore seismic acquisition technology," the joint statement said. (
  
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• Putin - Russia should not discriminate against any bidders for Bashneft

  02-09-2016 09:04
  Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday the government should not discriminate against any market players willing to bid in the privatisation of oil producer Bashneft , according to a transcript of his interview with Bloomberg. Answering a question about interest in Bashneft from oil major Rosneft , Putin said it was not the best option if one state-controlled company acquires another state company, but the key was who gives the most money for the state budget. "Rosneft, strictly speakin
  
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• Putin says oil output freeze would be right decision - Russian agencies

  02-09-2016 08:28
  Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped for an agreement on an oil output freeze and it would be the right decision for the global oil market, Russian news agencies reported on Friday, quoting an interview Putin gave to Bloomberg. "It would be right to find a compromise... We think it is the right decision for global energy markets," Interfax news agency quoted Putin as saying in the interview.
  
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• Sadiq Khan and megacity mayors urge G20 climate change action

  02-09-2016 07:01 via theguardian.com
  
  30 mayors from cities including London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, New York, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro call for rapid ratification of Paris climate dealLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan has joined forces with city leaders from around the world to call on governments to take urgent action on climate change.Ahead of a meeting of the G20 group of leading nations in Hangzhou, China, 30 mayors from cities including London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, New York, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro called on national leaders to
  
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• BP's Dudley sees oil price at $50 per barrel for rest of 2016

  02-09-2016 06:38
  VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - BP Chief Executive Robert Dudley said on Friday he expected global oil prices to remain at around $50 per barrel till the end of this year and at the same level or even "little above" in 2017, he told reporters in Vladivostok. "I think for now, since 2014, we are back into the balance with oil and gas. Supply and demand balance is just about being reached right now. But this will take quite some time to work off the stock levels of oil," he said. (Reporting by Vla
  
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• Otter pups gambol on the rocks

  02-09-2016 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Isle of Gigha, Argyll The young otters were having a good time, splashing and paddling and roughhousing; we were enchantedHaving abandoned our bikes by the gate, we follow a cattle trodden path between walls of bracken down to where field meets sand. The silver slip of a beach is postcard perfect, a flawless bleached-bone white. But close up it is busy with the telltale trails of recent visitors: speechmark hoofprints of cattle and the flatfoot waddle of whooper swans, each webbed imprint as lar
  
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• Are drought-resistant crops in Africa the tech fix they're cracked up to be?

  02-09-2016 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Biotech companies and non-profits are investing heavily in drought-resistant crops, but doubts remain over whether they are the best option for farmersThe rains are not what they once were in Kitui County. As climate change bites, the wet season is more erratic and drought has become an all-too-common phenomenon in this rural corner of eastern Kenya.This year, the community’s produce of peas, sorghum and other staples failed to reach maturity because the rains arrived one month late, says
  
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• BP CEO says confident in continuous investments in Russia

  02-09-2016 05:42
  VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - International oil major BP is confident in continuous investments in Russia, BP's chief executive Robert Dudley told the Eastern Economic Forum on Friday. "We have a great relationship and partnership, we continue investing in Russia and exploration with our partner, we work closely with Rosneft ", he said. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
  
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• Ticks found on 'one third' of dogs, researchers say

  02-09-2016 05:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists working on the largest study of ticks in dogs have found that almost one third of dogs checked at random across the UK were carrying a tick.
  
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• Japan trade minister denies Rosneft investment report

  02-09-2016 04:17
  Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko said on Friday it was not true that Japan was considering investing in Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft, denying a report by the Nikkei newspaper. The Nikkei said the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry was considering investing as much as 1 trillion yen (7.53 billion pounds) to buy 10 percent of Rosneft through the government-backed Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp, or Jogmec. The report came as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepared to meet Russian Pre
  
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• Japan may invest $10 billion in Russian oil firm Rosneft - Nikkei

  02-09-2016 03:23
  Japan will propose a broad cooperation in the energy sector with Russia that could include a nearly $10 billion (7.53 billion pounds) investment in Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday. The report comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a two-day business conference beginning Friday in Vladivostok. The two are expected to discuss closer cooperation in such areas as energy and technology, with
  
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• Oil heads for biggest weekly loss since mid-January

  02-09-2016 03:21
  By Florence Tan SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Crude prices rose on Friday after losses of more than 3 percent a day earlier, with investors treading cautiously ahead of key U.S. employment data that will help gauge the health of the world's largest economy and oil consumer. Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude futures are on track for their biggest weekly losses since mid-January, hit by oil inventory builds and weak U.S. manufacturing data. Brent crude had climbed 50 cents to $45.95 a barrel by 0043
  
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• Global warming is key topic at Hawaii conservation congress

  02-09-2016 01:44
  
  HONOLULU (AP) — The international community came together Thursday in Hawaii for 10 days of talks by leading academics, conservation groups and government officials to address the impacts of global warming, wildlife trafficking and environmental conservation.
  
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• In China's electric car boom, global automakers select different gear

  02-09-2016 01:12
  By Jake Spring TIANJIN, China (Reuters) - By 2020, Beijing says automakers must meet tough new green standards to cut epic pollution in China's cities. As domestic firms bet heavily on electric cars to meet that goal, foreign peers are set to stay in a different, petrol-driven gear. In the latest sign of caution from global automakers in China, Germany's Audi last week unveiled a new factory for high-efficiency transmissions in Tianjin, to be used in petrol-powered cars.
  
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• Brazil prosecutors reject SBM leniency deal for Petrobras graft

  02-09-2016 01:08
  By Jeb Blount RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors in Brazil rejected a $328.2 million (247.34 million pounds) deal on Thursday allowing Dutch oil-ship lesser SBM Offshore NV to avoid prosecution for corruption related to its contracts with state-led oil company Petrobras. The decision was made by a federal prosecutor review board, which said numerous problems needed to be addressed before the deal could be approved. SBM officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
  
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