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Britain's energy grid bets on flywheels to keep the lights on
Britain's energy grid bets on flywheels to keep the lights on
by  AFP

Britain's energy operator is betting on an age-old technology to future-proof its grid, as the power plants that traditionally helped stabilise it are closed and replaced by renewable energy systems. Grid operators are now looking to the technology to add inertia to renewable-heavy electricity systems to prevent blackouts like the one that hit Spain and Portugal this year.

Indonesian islanders taking Swiss concrete giant to court over climate
Indonesian islanders taking Swiss concrete giant to court over climate
by  AFP

Residents of the tiny Indonesian island of Pari, threatened with disappearance by rising sea levels driven by climate change, have come to Switzerland to demand compensation from cement giant Holcim. Environmentalists have said most of the 42-hectare (104-acre) island of Pari could be underwater by 2050 due to rising sea levels.

New wave: Sea power turned into energy at Los Angeles port
New wave: Sea power turned into energy at Los Angeles port
by  AFP

Floating blue paddles dance on the waves that lap a dock in the Port of Los Angeles, silently converting the power of the sea into useable electricity. Unlike solar power, which produces nothing at night, or wind power, which depends on the weather, the sea is always in motion.

US appeals court finds Trump's global tariffs illegal
US appeals court finds Trump's global tariffs illegal
by  AFP

A US appeals court on Friday ruled that many of President Donald Trump's tariffs, which have upended global trade, were illegal -- but allowed them to remain in place for now, giving him time to take the fight to the Supreme Court. The US Court of International Trade ruled in May that Trump had overstepped his authority with across-the-board global levies.

Court battle underway as Fed Governor Cook contests firing by Trump
Court battle underway as Fed Governor Cook contests firing by Trump
by  AFP

A US court on Friday began hearing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook's challenge of President Donald Trump's attempt to fire her, in a legal battle set to have major implications for the US central bank and its independence. In the first hearing in the case, a judge in Washington considered Cook's request for a temporary order declaring Trump's attempt to oust her unlawful.

US banana giant Chiquita returns to Panama
US banana giant Chiquita returns to Panama
by  AFP

US banana giant Chiquita Brands will resume operations in Panama and rehire thousands of workers fired after a crippling strike, the government of the Central American country said Friday. "The goal is to be operational no later than February 2026," said the government, adding Chiquita will invest some $30 million to resume production on 5,000 hectares of banana-growing land.