MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines on Monday said it had signed four loan agreements with the World Bank totalling $1.14 billion, including $750 million of budgetary support for policy reforms to boost environmental protection and climate resilience. The agreements also include $276 million of funding support for two projects aimed at developing the agriculture and…
(Reuters) – Texas’ power grid operator on Monday again projected electricity use would break records this week as homes and business cranked up air conditioning amid soaring temperatures. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid for more than 26 million customers representing about 90% of the state’s power load, forecast demand…
LONDON (Reuters) – Global energy demand rose 1% last year and record renewables growth did nothing to shift the dominance of fossil fuels, which still accounted for 82% of supply, the industry’s Statistical Review of World Energy report said on Monday. Last year was marked by turmoil in the energy markets after Russia’s invasion of…
By Nick Carey, Paul Lienert and Victoria Waldersee LONDON (Reuters) – Global automakers have touted plans to re-use electric vehicle (EV) batteries when they lose power, but competition for battery packs and cell materials, and the appetite for affordable cars cast doubt on this part of the circular economy. An array of startups offers second-life…
By Steve Gorman and Joseph Ax (Reuters) – Canadian safety officials on Friday opened an investigation into the undersea implosion of a tourist submersible that killed all five people aboard while diving to the century-old wreck of the Titanic, raising questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions. A debris field from the submersible Titan…
By Nia Williams BRITISH COLUMBIA (Reuters) – Canada is wrestling with its worst-ever start to wildfire season, but recruiting firefighters is becoming increasingly difficult due to tight labor markets and the tough nature of the job, provincial officials say. Limited resources could threaten Canada’s ability to douse fires, which are expected to get bigger and…
(Reuters) – A bridge in Montana collapsed into the Yellowstone River early on Saturday, landing multiple rail cars in the water, officials said. Montana Rail Link, the company operating the train, said in a statement that “several hazmat cars” plunged into the river. No injuries were reported among the train crew, it added. The rail…
By Ryan Woo BEIJING (Reuters) -Beijing topped 40 degrees Celsius (104F) on Saturday for a record third day as the Chinese capital sweltered in extreme heat, while uncommonly high temperatures for June grilled an area the size of California in northern China. At 1:51 p.m. (0551 GMT), the temperature measured by Beijing’s benchmark weather station…
(Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday urged the European Union and the Mercosur to set aside arrogance and negotiate the long-awaited trade agreement between the blocs with common sense. “It’s important to remember that we need the EU and they need us very much. So it’s important that we put…
By Elida Moreno PANAMA CITY (Reuters) – The Panama Canal will postpone depth restrictions that were set to affect the largest ships crossing the key waterway, the canal authority said, after much-needed rain provided relief to the strained maritime passage. A series of measures were scheduled to go into effect on June 25 and July…
