US, China trade officials meet in London for new round of negotiations
05:54
From the show
American and Chinese delegations are meeting in London for a new round of trade talks, with US tariffs and Chinese export restrictions on rare earth minerals at the top of the agenda. Also in this edition: Japan pushes its own trade talks with Washington, and French art lovers protest a construction project near the site of Paul Cezanne's most famous landscapes.
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France 24
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- France 24
Trump admin announces plan to loosen power plant regulations
The move "would deliver savings to American families on electricity bills, and it will ensure that they have the electricity that they need today," Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Lee Zeldin told a press conference, adding that his office would balance protecting the economy and the climate. Regulations set to be repealed include limitations on carbon dioxide emissions by power plants and a rule curbing release of hazardous air pollutants such as mercury. The measures were meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the United States, the world's top polluter, and to protect people living near power plants and exposed to elevated levels of air pollutants that can damage the nervous system and harm breathing. The Trump administration argues the regulations are costly and rein in energy output at a time when the development of artificial intelligence is driving booming demand for electricity. A powerful polluter "No power plant will be allowed to emit more than they do today," Zeldin said Wednesday. The US power sector is already one of the world's top polluters, according to a recent report by the Institute for Policy Integrity, a nonpartisan think tank at New York University. Were it considered a country, it would have ranked as the world's sixth-biggest emitter in 2022 and contributed five percent of total worldwide emissions from 1990-2022, the institute said in a May briefing on the topic. "The best available evidence shows that each year of greenhouse gas emissions from US coal-fired and gas-fired power plants will contribute to climate damages responsible for thousands of US deaths and hundreds of billions in economics harms," the institute said in its report. Regulations facing the axe include requirements for coal-fired power plants to capture CO2 emissions instead of releasing them into the atmosphere, using expensive capture and storage techniques that are still not widely in use. A change in course Since Trump -- a proponent of fossil fuels and climate change skeptic -- returned to power in late January, federal authorities have reversed course on climate policy. In March, the EPA said it would undo dozens of environmental measures enacted during Biden's term in office, including those cutting vehicle emissions and drastically reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that coal-fired power plants can emit. The proposed federal rules announced Wednesday will be subject to a period of public comment before being finalized. If they become law, they would most likely be challenged in court.
Fashion Network
an hour ago
- Fashion Network
New Balance returns to Chiado as part of an expansion plan
The American brand New Balance returns to Chiado with the opening of a new store spread over two floors at 20-26 Garrett Street, in the heart of Lisbon's historic center. The new space, with 132 square meters, opened last Friday, June 6, following a more premium concept with a focus on what has defined New Balance in recent years, that is, a differentiated image that highlights a careful selection of performance and lifestyle sports articles, two core areas in which the brand positions itself. According to the New Balance press release, the models available are more technical, extending to iconic silhouettes like those of the brand's latest sneakers - the 550, 2002R or 990, a selection that marks the brand's recent journey and its rise in the fashion world. This is New Balance's second official store in the Lisbon metropolitan area and is part of an expansion plan that the brand has been developing over the last few years, according to the press release about the new space, which is open every day (Monday to Sunday) from 10am to 8pm. news_translation_auto Click here to read the original article.
Fashion Network
an hour ago
- Fashion Network
French Senate approves ‘anti-fast-fashion' bill chiefly targeting Shein, Temu
Louwagie said that the government will notify the European Commission of this bill even before the end of the joint parliamentary committee work that will start soon, and that the government will also work on the decrees regulating the bill's application, and notably define the thresholds that will formally identify an operator as 'ultra-express' or 'ultra-fast-fashion'. Before the vote, the representatives of the various Senate groups spoke to explain their positions on the vote. An opportunity to underline for some the positive amendments made to the bill, and its weaknesses for others. Many senators welcomed the removal of a provision of the 2022 anti-waste law on unsold goods, which allowed ultra-fast-fashion operators to benefit from tax allowances when donating unsold goods to charitable associations. The re-introduction of a blanket ban on advertising for ultra-express fashion operators was also appreciated. 'This law does not prohibit, it protects by defining what is abnormal. It protects our environment and that of our children. It protects the economy and our textile industry. We can be happy we are giving ourselves the means to achieve our goals,' said Nicole Bonnefoy, representing the Socialist, Ecologist and Republican group, adding that 'we welcome the re-introduction of article three, which will form a negotiation basis for requesting an amendment to the European e-commerce directive, so that these restrictive measures can be made to apply to companies based for example in Ireland.' Although the amendments have been approved by the groups, several points still prompted strong reservations. The introduction of the term 'ultra-express fashion' has led to much teeth-gnashing among environmental associations and sustainable fashion brands, which believe that the aim of fencing in all types of fast-fashion practices is no longer being pursued. Jacques Fernique of Ecologist group Solidarité et territoires insisted on this aspect, emphasising that the various laws will not enter into force for many months yet, since they have to be examined again by the European Commission and the joint parliamentary committee, something which won't happen before the autumn. 'Today's vote is a relatively positive step. Shein, Temu and Amazon are pushing to the extreme a business model that destroys local jobs and our city centres' appeal. But both ultra-express fast fashion and fast fashion adopt the same approach, selling transient, low-cost disposable products. This bill is targeting the ultra-fast fashion explosion, but we can't see why the penalties shouldn't potentially apply to everyone.' Fernique is campaigning for provisions that would 'push back against the kind of disposable fashion sold by foreign platforms but also by French and European companies. It's sustainable fashion that we ought to promote, regardless of the nationality of who sells it.' An issue which the majority of senators did not endorse. 'This bill has set a course. It doesn't pretend to solve everything, but it intends to draw boundaries,' said Valente Le Hir, who is affiliated with the Republican group and is the bill's rapporteur in the Senate. She has advocated for the middle ground in various issues, asserting that the Senate wants to draw up a 'stronger bill, not a travesty of it. We have said it's time to limit the excesses of express fashion without penalising those who are working towards greater sustainability in the industry. [The bill] has distinguished, within a poorly understood sector, what constitutes planned overconsumption and what constitutes sustainable innovation. We've clarified the target. We've drawn a clear line between what we want to regulate, ultra-express fast fashion as embodied by platforms like Shein and Temu, and what we want to preserve, in other words affordable, locally rooted fashion that generates jobs in France, that anchors our communities, creates connections and boosts local industry.' After the government will have sent the text over to the European Commission, the latter will have three to four months to comment. And while French MPs and senators will be working within the joint parliamentary committee, the Commission's analysis and observations will play a key role in the bill's final wording and provisions. In the meantime, the lobbying efforts that have been ongoing for months are set to continue.
