Extreme heat radiates around the globe, as U.S., China enter climate talks

By Liliana Salgado PHOENIX (Reuters) -Asia, Europe and the United States baked under extreme heat on Monday as global temperatures soared toward alarming highs and U.S. leaders sought to reignite climate diplomacy with China. The United States was scorched by record-setting heat in the West and South, lashed with flood-triggering rain in the Northeast, and…

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French leader Macron to visit ‘neutral ground’ Papua New Guinea

(Reuters) – France’s President Emmanuel Macron will visit Papua New Guinea next week, the latest world leader to visit the Pacific Islands nation which says it is “neutral ground” amid competition between China and the U.S. for influence in the region. Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape said in a statement on Tuesday that…

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World Bank chief Banga unveils new plans to boost lending ‘firepower’

By Andrea Shalal (Reuters) – World Bank President Ajay Banga unveiled new plans on Tuesday to stretch the bank’s balance sheet and help countries tackle climate change and other challenges, but said a capital increase would still eventually be needed. Banga, a former Mastercard CEO who took over the helm of the World Bank on…

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TSMC Q2 earnings seen down 27% y/y, Q3 looks better

By Faith Hung and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC is expected to report a 27% fall in second-quarter net profit on Thursday, as global economic woes dent demand for semiconductors, though analysts say business performance is likely to improve in the current quarter. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), the world’s largest…

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China’s NDRC vows to roll out consumption support policies without delay

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s top economic planner pledged on Tuesday that it would roll out policies to “restore and expand” consumption without delay as consumers’ purchasing power remained weak, suggesting an urgency to revive domestic demand. The world’s second-largest economy grew at a frail pace in the second quarter, official data showed on Monday. Gross…

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Australia debates Indigenous referendum as pamphlets launched

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Parties on both sides of a debate on whether to constitutionally recognise Australia’s Indigenous people released their official pamphlets on Tuesday, which will start being delivered to letterboxes across the country. Australians will be asked to vote in a referendum later this year on whether they support altering the constitution to include…

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Japan and UAE agree innovation, climate change cooperation

By Rachna Uppal ABU DHABI (Reuters) -Japan and the United Arab Emirates agreed to cooperate on technology and climate change during Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit, his second stop in the region focused on securing energy supplies and promoting green technology. Kishida met with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu…

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US, China aim to revive climate talks as planet reels under extreme weather

By Valerie Volcovici BEIJING (Reuters) – U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said it was “imperative that China and the United States make real progress” in the four months before U.N.-sponsored climate talks begin in Dubai, as waves of extreme heat and rainfall hit large parts of the globe. While Kerry met his counterpart Xie Zhenhua…

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