Bangladesh and Russia on Wednesday signed an agreement on peaceful use of nuclear energy enabling Dhaka to launch negotiations with Moscow to set up nuclear power units in Bangladesh.

Energy service contractors must cut their charges to oil and gas companies to ensure both parts of the industry thrive after the current crisis, the chief executives of two of the world's largest oil companies said on Tuesday.

A utility in Missouri said Thursday that it was suspending its efforts to build a new nuclear reactor, making its proposed plant, Callaway 2, the first of the so-called nuclear renaissance reactors to fall by the wayside.

Paris city authorities are planning to build small wind turbines into one of the world's most famous skylines to take advantage of the strong winds which sometimes sweep high points such as Montmartre.

Bangladesh and Russia at a consultation in Dhaka have in principle agreed on cooperation for peaceful use of nuclear power, official said.

Higher levels of pollution in Asia may affect the formation of clouds high in the Himalayas, perhaps disrupting monsoons and speeding a thaw of glaciers, according to a study on Monday.

Soaring food prices and starving children provide a stirring backdrop to Europe's debate on its biofuels targets, but the big businesses of farming, forestry and automotive could have a heavier influence on policy. The green credentials of biofuels have come under attack in recent weeks over fears they compete for farming land and push up food prices around the world. Riots over food in more than a dozen countries, from Indonesia to Haiti, have added urgency to the debate.