<p>The European Union agreed to its first law regulating safety in offshore oil and gas on Thursday, including criteria for awarding licenses and penalties for breaching safety standards. British politicians welcomed the law, saying it would force other states to enact the same laws Britain has had in place for years. But some environmental campaigners said that the law was not robust enough.

<p>European Union member states approved a plan to register solar panels from China as both parties move closer to punitive tariffs. Though EU officials are aware that Europe needs China and the solar market to recover its economy, they have accused China of "stonewalling" and have criticized the lack of clarity from Chinese leadership. The measure would also allow the EU to retroactively place duties on China and its companies if they are found to have sold panels below cost.

<p>European Union member states approved a plan to register solar panels from China as both parties move closer to punitive tariffs. Though EU officials are aware that Europe needs China and the solar market to recover its economy, they have accused China of "stonewalling" and have criticized the lack of clarity from Chinese leadership. The measure would also allow the EU to retroactively place duties on China and its companies if they are found to have sold panels below cost.

<p>China plans to spend $850 billion on water improvement projects over the next decade, but efforts may do little to reverse damage caused by years of pollution and overuse. While the funding is necessary to fight the sewer discharge, chemical spills, and algae from fertilizer runoff caused by decades of rapid expansion, the nation's record of water cleanup indicates that the final amount needed may be much higher.