Philippines' Duterte signs Paris pact on climate change

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change restricting greenhouse gas emissions, putting the deal one step closer to ratification in the country, a senator said on Wednesday.

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Bright lava lights up Sicilian sky as Mount Etna erupts

ROME (Reuters) - Bright lava lit up the night sky on the Italian island of Sicily on Monday as Mount Etna erupted for the first time this year.

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VW has spent $2.9 billion on U.S. buybacks: court document

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG has paid $2.9 billion to repurchase nearly 138,000 U.S. diesel vehicles through Feb. 18 in the wake of its emissions scandal, a court document made public on Tuesday shows.

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One dead as tornado rakes northern Illinois

(Reuters) - At least one person was killed when a rare winter tornado raked northern Illinois on Tuesday, part of a band of severe weather that pummeled the area with baseball-sized hail, the National Weather Service said.

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U.S. judge to rule on Dakota Access Pipeline easement in early March

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge said on Tuesday he hopes to decide by about March 7 on a request by Native American tribes for the Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw an easement on religious grounds for the final link of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

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Japan nuclear regulator asks Tepco to resubmit safety check application

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's nuclear regulator on Tuesday requested the Tokyo Electric Power Co Holdings resubmit safety check applications for its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant after a review of its standards showed past inadequacies had not been properly reported.

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Trump to order review of Obama waterway regulation: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will sign a measure on Tuesday directing regulators to review an Obama administration regulation that expanded the number of federally protected waterways, a senior White House official said.

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Japan accelerates wind power development as govt support pays off: study

TOKYO (Reuters) - With a month to go this fiscal year, Japan's installation of new wind power capacity in 2016-17 is set to come in almost double that of the previous 12 months, propelled by higher tariffs guaranteed by Tokyo and a rising number of offshore wind farms.

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Eastern Japan shaken by 5.6 magnitude quake, no tsunami warning

(Reuters) - A 5.6 magnitude earthquake shook a wide swathe of eastern and northeastern Japan on Tuesday, including the capital Tokyo where buildings swayed, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

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Afghan capital's thirsty residents dig deep to combat drought, overuse

KABUL (Reuters) - A growing population is straining water supplies in Afghanistan's capital, forcing those who can afford it to dig unregulated wells ever deeper to tap a falling water table.

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Melting snow new danger for those fleeing to Canada from U.S.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Asylum seekers crossing in the dead of night into Canada from the United States may face a new danger in coming weeks, as heavy snowpack melts in the flood-prone U.S. northern plains and province of Manitoba.

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Rhino poaching toll in South Africa falls 10 percent in 2016

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The number of rhinos poached for their horns in South Africa fell 10 percent in 2016 to 1,054, the second straight year of decline according to government data released on Monday, but conservationists said the levels remain alarming.

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South Africa lifts water restrictions in the capital's province after heavy rains

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa has lifted water restrictions in its most populous province which houses the capital and the economic hub after dam levels improved following days of heavy rainfall, the water department said on Monday.

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Ivory Coast rains bode well for cocoa mid-crop but heat is a concern

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Good rains in the last week in most of Ivory Coast's main cocoa growing regions are a positive sign for the development of the mid-crop but hot weather could hurt it, farmers said on Monday.

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Cold weather curbs armyworm outbreak in South Africa - Grain SA

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Cold weather, rains and resilient genetically-modified crops (GMO) have limited the damage caused by an armyworm outbreak in South Africa, the head of Grain SA Jannie de Villiers said on Monday.

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Merkel discussed China's electro-cars plan with prime minister Li

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed China's plan to set quotas for the number of electric cars it wants on its roads in the future in a phone call with Prime Minister Li Keqiang, a government spokesman said on Monday

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Three dead, 19 missing as floods hit central Chile

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Three people are dead and 19 others are missing after heavy rains struck Chile over the weekend during the country's usually dry summer months, causing mudslides and water outages in the South American nation.

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Aggressive cuts to Obama-era green rules to start soon: EPA head

(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration will begin rolling back Obama-era environmental regulations in an "aggressive way" as soon as next week, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Saturday - adding he understood why some Americans want to see his agency eliminated completely.

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California governor proposes spending $437 million on aging dams, flood control

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown on Friday proposed spending $437 million for flood control and emergency response and preparedness, days after damage at the country's tallest dam, located northeast of the state capital, led to the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people downstream.

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Oklahoma regulator issues new directive to curb quakes

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Oklahoma's oil and gas regulator on Friday issued a wider directive limiting future increases in wastewater disposal underground in another effort to address a rash of temblors that have occurred amid the shale boom.

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Trump to order reversal of Obama water regulation rule: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign a measure on Wednesday aimed at rescinding a major Obama administration water regulation and direct an end to the government's defense of the rule, a Trump official briefed on the plan said on Friday.

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EU ministers 'bracing for battle' on carbon market reform

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU environment ministers are bracing for a tough debate on Tuesday to find a compromise on reforms to the carbon market, EU sources said, with nations split over how to balance climate ambitions with protection for energy-intensive industry.

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Groups sue EPA to protect wild salmon from climate change

(Reuters) - U.S. fishing and conservation groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, seeking to protect wild salmon threatened by rising water temperatures attributed in part to climate change in two major rivers of the Pacific Northwest.

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Thousands of San Jose, California, residents allowed home after flooding

(Reuters) - Some residents of San Jose in Northern California who were forced out this week by flooding from a rain-swollen creek returned on Thursday to find their homes stayed dry, but nearly 4,000 people were still under evacuation orders, officials said.

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California lawmakers release environmental bills in attempt to thwart Trump

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Democratic state senators in California on Thursday unveiled a series of bills designed to freeze in place Obama administration-era environmental regulations in the event the Trump administration moves to weaken them.

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Arrests among dwindling demonstrators at Dakota pipeline protest camp

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - More than a dozen of a dwindling number of protesters at a camp near the site of the Dakota Access pipeline were arrested on Thursday after defying a previous deadline set by authorities to vacate the Army-owned land.

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Wet weather eases California drought

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California's years-long dry spell has lifted dramatically during several months of heavy rain and snow, leaving just 17 percent of the most populous U.S. state in conditions that scientists consider to be drought, officials said Thursday.

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Scientists to test 50 coral reefs to seek ways to counter climate change

OSLO (Reuters) - Ocean scientists will pick 50 coral reefs worldwide to test ways to limit damage from climate change, pollution and over-fishing that threatens to wipe out 90 percent of all reefs by 2050, according to a plan launched on Thursday.

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Energy Transfer says Dakota Access pipeline 99 percent complete

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Energy Transfer Partners LP said on Thursday that 99 percent of its controversial Dakota Access Pipeline is complete after receiving all federal authorizations necessary earlier this month.

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Audi CEO not facing immediate dismissal by supervisory board: sources

BERLIN/HAMBURG (Reuters) - Audi Chief Executive Rupert Stadler is not facing immediate dismissal by the carmaker's supervisory board, two sources said, despite growing criticism of his role in the investigation into the emissions scandal.

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Woman killed by flying debris as storm Doris batters Britain

BROAD HAVEN, Wales (Reuters) - A woman was killed by flying debris on Thursday as storm Doris battered Britain and Ireland, disrupting travel and leaving thousands without power as it swept in from the Atlantic.

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Philippine minister says Duterte agrees with mining ban in watershed areas

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' environment minister on Thursday said President Rodrigo Duterte had backed her decision to ban mining in watershed areas at a meeting earlier this week, winning his support once more for her crackdown on the sector.

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Thousands still forced from homes by flooding in California tech hub

(Reuters) - The mucky water flooding a section of San Jose in Northern California forced officials on Wednesday to widen the area under mandatory evacuation orders, with about 14,000 people barred from returning to their homes following drenching rains.

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Deadline nears for protesters to leave camp near Dakota pipeline

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - Protesters opposed to the Dakota Access pipeline braced for a showdown with authorities as some vowed to defy Wednesday's deadline to abandon the camp they have occupied for months to halt the project.

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Wild boars roam Czech forests - and some of them are radioactive

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech Republic has an unusual problem this winter with its wild boar meat, a local delicacy. The boars are radioactive.

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Millions risk starvation in Nigeria, Lake Chad region: United Nations

OSLO (Reuters) - More than seven million people risk starvation in Nigeria's insurgency-hit northeastern region and around Lake Chad, a senior U.N. official said on Wednesday ahead of a new funding appeal.

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Pope appeals for urgent food aid to help famine-stricken South Sudan

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis called on Wednesday for urgent humanitarian aid for the starving people of South Sudan, saying millions risked being "condemned to death" by a famine in parts of the war-ravaged country.

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Britain pledges extra $250 million to fight famine in South Sudan, Somalia

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will provide additional aid money to South Sudan, where famine has been declared in parts of the country, and to Somalia, where there is a credible risk of famine, the government said on Wednesday.

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Automakers urge new EPA chief to withdraw Obama car fuel-efficiency rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A trade association representing General Motors Co , Toyota Motor Corp , Volkswagen AG and nine other automakers on Tuesday asked new Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt to withdraw an Obama administration decision to lock in vehicle emission rules through 2025.

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Trump seeks to quell ethanol industry worry as Pruitt enters EPA

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday assured ethanol industry advocates of their importance in U.S. energy strategy in an apparent bid to quell concerns over potential changes to policies that mandate the use of such renewable fuels.

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San Jose streets flooded as more heavy rains wallop California

(Reuters) - Waist-high floodwaters struck a neighborhood of San Jose on Tuesday after heavy rains drenched the state, causing a creek in the Northern California city to overflow, according to officials and local media.

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Trump to reverse Obama-era environmental rules in executive orders: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will reverse a handful of Obama-era environmental regulations in executive orders that could be signed as early as this week, the Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the orders.

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Demonstrators vow face-off against North Dakota pipeline

(Reuters) - Protesters near the site of the Dakota Access pipeline are bracing for a stand-off with law enforcement as they face orders to evacuate a camp that has served as the base of their opposition to the multibillion-dollar project.

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New U.S. environmental agency chief to address staff amid fears of cuts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, will address workers at the government body for the first time on Tuesday amid widespread expectations he intends to cut staff, budgets and climate change programs.

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South Sudan's Kiir promises safe access to starving civilians as famine bites

JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir on Tuesday promised aid agencies safe access to hunger-stricken civilians, a day after his government declared a famine in parts of the war-ravaged country.

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China's top coal miners push for Beijing to cap output again: sources

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's major coal miners pushed for the government to reinstate limits on thermal coal output at an industry meeting on Tuesday citing weakening demand and growing supply, two sources briefed on the gathering said.

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China to crack down on illegal mining, as miners meet on output cuts

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will launch a nationwide safety check on all coal mines as miners convene in Beijing to discuss a curb on supply, the official People's Daily said.

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Flood worries in Northern California after deadly storm hits south

(Reuters) - Large parts of Northern California were placed on a flood advisory on Sunday ahead of a storm system expected to bring heavy rain, wind and snow to the state, still cleaning up from a deadly storm that deluged Southern California two days ago.

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Trump's EPA pick vote delayed in boycott by Senate Democrats

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. senators on Wednesday delayed a committee vote on President Donald Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency after the panel's Democrats boycotted the meeting, saying that nominee Scott Pruitt doubts the science of climate change.

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Faced with U.S. retreat on climate change, EU looks to China

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Faced with a U.S. retreat from international efforts to tackle climate change, European Union officials are looking to China, fearing a leadership vacuum will embolden those within the bloc seeking to slow the fight against global warming.

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EPA illegally yanked mercury rule after Trump inauguration- lawsuit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As U.S. President Donald Trump takes aim at what he considers an excess of federal regulations, a new lawsuit accuses the Environmental Protection Agency of illegally rescinding a rule to reduce the discharge of mercury from dental offices, mere hours after Trump took office.

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1,700 residents of Flint, Michigan sue EPA over water crisis

(Reuters) - More than 1,700 residents of Flint, Michigan who say the Environmental Protection Agency mismanaged the water crisis that exposed thousands of children to lead poisoning have sued the U.S. government, seeking class action status for their claims.

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Group calls for U.S. flood insurance revamp as program deadline nears

(Reuters) - A U.S. flood insurance program that is drowning in billions of dollars in debt can be modernized to bolster its finances while curbing the public's exposure to flood risks, a national coalition said in a reform proposal unveiled on Wednesday.

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U.S. Army takes steps to review Dakota Access pipeline

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army on Wednesday said it had taken initial steps to "expeditiously review requests for approvals to construct and operate" Energy Transfer Partners LP's Dakota Access pipeline, but that the move does not mean the project's easement has been approved.

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VW, Robert Bosch agree to pay $1.55 billion to settle U.S. diesel claims

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG has agreed to pay at least $1.22 billion to fix or buy back nearly 80,000 polluting U.S. 3.0 liter diesel-engine vehicles to settle claims it fitted illegal emissions-cheating software to the cars, court documents showed.

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