France wants carmakers to ditch petrol, diesel by 2040July 6, 2017 - 16:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - French Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot says he has set the country’s carmakers the goal of not selling petrol or diesel cars by 2040, The Associated Press reports. At a news conference unveiling a five-year plan to encourage clean energy and fulfill the country’s commitments under the Paris climate accord, Hulot said France’s car manufacturers have projects that “can fulfill that promise.” His hope comes a day after Sweden’s Volvo became the first major automaker to pledge to abandon cars and SUVs powered solely by the internal combustion engine. Hulot also said Thursday, July 6 that France will stop producing power from coal-power stations — now 5 percent of the total — by 2022. The country also wants to reduce the proportion of its power from nuclear to 50 percent by 2025, from the current 75 percent. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Police try to impede Armenian Church head’s access to war memorial Police tried to stop the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, from visiting a war memorial. Greece says ready to help as Armenia fights flooding consequences Greece is ready to assist Armenia in combatting the consequences of deadly floods in the country’s north. “He will leave”: Protest leader no longer demands meeting with Pashinyan Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan no longer demands a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. |