New Zealand to save $31bn by using Paris carbon market

  Bloomberg New Zealand is seeking to offset its global warming emissions by investing almost $5 billion in green projects overseas, saving six times that figure to meet its Paris climate commitments. Climate Minister Paula Bennett sounded out countries willing to sell emission-reduction credits as she met them at the United Nations climate talks in Morocco this month, she said ...

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Carmakers to juice Europe with e-charging network

  Bloomberg German carmakers BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Audi and US competitor Ford said on Tuesday they would cooperate on a Europe-wide network of electric charging stations. The move is an “important step towards facilitating mass-market battery electric vehicle adoption”, the manufacturers said in a joint statement, and comes as German carmakers rev up their offers of electric cars for ...

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Ukraine moves giant new safety dome over Chernobyl

  Chernobyl / AFP Ukraine on Tuesday unveiled the world’s largest moveable metal structure over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s doomed fourth reactor to ensure the safety of Europeans for future generations. The gigantic arch soars 108 metres (355 feet) into the sky — making it taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty — while its weight of 36,000 tons ...

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US growth revised upward on consumer spending

  Bloomberg The US economy expanded more than previously reported last quarter on a sunnier picture of household spending, the primary growth engine. Gross domestic product rose at a 3.2 percent annualized rate in the three months ended in September, the fastest in two years, compared with an initial estimate of 2.9 percent, Commerce Department figures showed on Tuesday. The ...

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France, UK seen as trouble spots for power supply this winter

  Bloomberg France and the UK are the two nations in Europe most at risk of power shortages this winter, particularly if there is a cold snap in early December or January. With availability of Electricite de France SA’s French nuclear fleet at the lowest level in a decade, the nation will need to rely on imports during several weeks ...

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Saudi pulls back with oil’s retreat, profit-taking resumes in Egypt

  Reuters Saudi Arabia’s stock market gave up early gains by the close on Tuesday as oil prices pulled back, while other Gulf bourses were mixed. Profit-taking pulled Egypt’ market lower after big gains this month. The Saudi index has soared over 25 percent — almost entirely erasing its losses this year — since the government’s $17.5 billion international bond ...

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European stocks diverge as oil slides before OPEC meet

  London / AFP European stock markets mostly rebounded on Tuesday but London extended losses as mining shares lost their shine, while oil prices slumped almost a dollar on the eve of a crucial OPEC meeting. Asian traders had earlier moved cautiously, with the recent Trump-fuelled rally in stocks subdued by profit-taking, uncertainty over a key vote in Italy at ...

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Tokyo stocks end lower as ‘Trump rally’ fizzles

  Tokyo / AFP Tokyo stocks ended lower on Tuesday as markets took a breather following a string of recent gains that propelled the benchmark index to its highest level in 11 months. Japanese shares advanced last week as the yen tumbled against the dollar on expectations that US interest rates will rise under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. “Japanese stocks ...

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VR offers television producers ‘Hollywood in a box’

  Los Angeles / AFP On a soundstage no bigger than a large bedroom a cameraman takes up various angles to film a helicopter that isn’t there, landing in a field that isn’t there either. Until recently, virtual reality was the preserve of the gaming crowd but producers say the technology is on the cusp of a boom which could ...

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Intel to provide computing power for Delphi autonomous cars

  DETROIT / AP Auto parts and electronics maker Delphi Corp. has signed a deal with Intel to buy high-powered computer processors for Delphi’s future autonomous-vehicle systems. Delphi says Intel’s added computing capacity will be needed as autonomous-car systems gather and store more and more information while expanding their ability to deal with situations on real roads. In August, Delphi ...

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