2024-08-31 17:05

Aug 31 (Reuters) - Tugs are expected to begin towing a damaged Greek oil tanker on Sunday, Yemen's Houthi Foreign Minister Jamel Amer said, as the vessel remains adrift and on fire in the Red Sea. The Greek-registered Sounion poses an environmental hazard after it was damaged in an Aug. 21 strike by Houthi forces. The tanker, which the Houthis and maritime sources have said has been rigged with explosives, is laden with about 1 million barrels of crude oil. "Tug boats are expected to arrive tomorrow, Sunday, to begin towing the Sounion ship," Amer said in a statement on Facebook. The Houthis said on Wednesday they would allow salvage crews to tow the ship - which has been on fire since Aug. 23 - to safety amid fears of a potential slip of 150,000 tonnes of crude oil into the Red Sea. If a spill occurs, it has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history and could cause an environmental catastrophe in an area that is particularly dangerous to access. Sources said on Friday that any salvage operation would require an inspection and survey of the vessel to decide whether it can be towed to a port or if a ship-to-ship transfer of its cargo is required. Houthi militants have carried out multiple assaults, including planting bombs, on the already disabled 900-foot (274-metre) Sounion, which is operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers. The Iran-aligned Houthis have been waging a campaign against commercial shipping to support Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/operation-tow-stricken-oil-tanker-start-sunday-yemeni-houthi-minister-2024-08-31/

2024-08-31 12:55

August rainfall was 15.3% above average September rains forecast to be 109% of 50-year average Excess rainfall is threat to summer crops MUMBAI, Aug 31 (Reuters) - India is forecast to receive above-average rainfall in September after surplus rains in August, the weather department said on Saturday. The rainfall in September is likely to be more than 109% of a 50-year average, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of the India Meteorological Department, told a virtual news conference. Above-normal rainfall could damage summer-sown crops, such as rice, cotton, soybean, corn, and pulses, which are typically harvested from mid-September. Crop damage can lead to food inflation, but the rains may also result in higher soil moisture, benefiting the planting of winter-sown crops such as wheat, rapeseed, and chickpea. India, the world's second-largest producer of wheat, sugar, and rice, has imposed various curbs on the export of these farm commodities, and any losses due to excessive rainfall could prompt New Delhi to extend those curbs. After receiving 9% more rainfall in July, India had 15.3% more rainfall than average in August as the north-western and central region of the country received heavy rainfall, which led to flooding in some states. The country has recorded 6.9% more rainfall than average since the start of the monsoon season on June 1. The lifeblood of a nearly $3.5-trillion economy, the annual monsoon brings almost 70% of the rain India needs to water farms and replenish reservoirs and aquifers. Without irrigation, nearly half the farmland in the country depends on the rains that usually run from June to September. The monsoon generally starts to retreat by mid-September from the northwestern state of Rajasthan, ending across the country by mid-October. However, the forecast for September indicates that this year's withdrawal could be delayed. "Forecast for September suggests that good rainfall activity over Rajasthan and Gujarat starts about 15th September. Nowadays, if you look at, the withdrawal is getting delayed," Mohapatra said. By mid-September, summer-sown crops become ready for harvesting, and rainfall during this time could damage the ripe crops, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-braces-another-month-above-average-rainfall-september-2024-08-31/

2024-08-31 11:42

State fairs use fake cows for milking demos Farmers face new testing rules and logistical challenges CDC advises caution but says H5N1 risk to public is low WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin, Aug 31 (Reuters) - In Michigan this year, where dairy workers and herds have fallen ill from bird flu, a pair of unlikely prized cows are being prepped to take the state fair stage. State fair organizers are this year featuring Milkshake and Buttercup, two life-sized fiberglass cows complete with rubber teats and water-filled udders, for a popular milking demo. The head of the Minnesota State Fair's Moo Booth came up with a similar work around for its hands-on milking event: a fake dairy cow named Olympia. "Normally, we'd have a real cow out there," said Jill Nathe, the fair's deputy general manager of agriculture and competition. "We just can't do that right now." As avian influenza continues to spread, infecting cattle herds for the first time this year as well as four dairy workers, U.S. state and county fair organizers have been forced to reimagine nostalgic summer traditions long celebrated by city and rural folk alike. For farmers and students eager for blue ribbons and bragging rights, the outbreak has forced them to navigate new testing rules and manage logistical headaches in order to obtain a clean bill of health for animals before entering the show ring. State and local officials say they are trying to protect people and animals from the H5N1 virus as some dairy farmers have declined to test their herds. Experts worry that further transmission of the virus could help it adapt to spread between humans. The risk of viral spread among herds prompted some county fairs in Michigan to cancel dairy shows, while the Iowa State Fair shuttered its milking barn. In Minnesota, state fair staff procured extra gloves and face shields from COVID-era stockpiles for the livestock crew, and kept pregnant dairy cows out of the fair's birthing center. Several farm states, including Wisconsin, required lactating cattle to test negative within seven days of arriving at the fairgrounds. Wisconsin dairy farmer Rick "RT" Thompson said he had to carefully time visits from his veterinarian, so the milk test results for H5N1 would fall within the required window for different fairs. His vet's wife personally drove samples to a state lab in Madison to ensure they arrived on time for testing. "It's not a convenient thing," said Thompson, 57, who has attended Wisconsin's state fair for 46 years. Michigan banned lactating cows from all public exhibitions until the state goes two months without finding an infected herd. With only one state fair per year, the chance has passed for 2024. Michigan last reported a case on Monday. "We were all waiting for that 60-day window," Michigan State Fair livestock director LC Scramlin said. "But we kept having another case and another one happen." COWS STAY HOME At the Wisconsin State Fair, where visitors can buy everything from cream puffs to hot tubs, veterinarians inspected cattle before they stepped off their trailers to make sure the animals were healthy upon arrival - a departure from previous years, exhibitors said. The risk of bird flu was enough to convince Jennifer and Bethany Droessler to keep a lactating cow at home. The sisters from Cuba City, Wisconsin, instead hauled other cattle to show at the event's Dairy Lane, where fairgoers petted and took selfies with animals topping the scales at more than 1,000 pounds (454 kg). "We'll aim for next year and hopefully it won't be an issue," said Jennifer Droessler, 30. More than 190 dairy herds nationwide have been infected since March, and 13 farm workers tested positive following exposure to cows and poultry. The workers all recovered, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says H5N1 remains a low risk for the general public. Still, CDC is advising people not to eat, drink or touch anything in animal areas at fairs. Several fairgoers in Wisconsin, the No. 2 milk-producer and top cheese-making state, said they were not aware of, or concerned about, the guidelines. Visitors chomped on treats including taffy apples and cheese curds as they strolled between cows chewing their cud. "I don't think it's a big risk," said O.E. Glieber of Delafield, Wisconsin, 88, who came to the fair with grandchildren. "The CDC overreacts with a lot of stuff." Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fake-cows-ready-milking-us-state-fairs-bird-flu-threat-looms-2024-08-31/

2024-08-31 09:28

Aug 31 (Reuters) - The Libyan oil export port of Hariga has stopped operating due to insufficient crude supplies, two engineers at the terminal told Reuters on Saturday, as a standoff between rival political factions shuts most of the country's oilfields. This week's flare-up in a dispute over control of the central bank threatens a new bout of instability in the North African country, a major oil producer that is split between eastern and western factions. The eastern-based administration, which controls oilfields that account for almost all the country's production, are demanding western authorities back down over the replacement of the central bank governor - a key position in a state where control over oil revenue is the biggest prize for all factions. Exports from Hariga stopped following the near-total shutdown of the Sarir oilfield, the port's main supplier, the engineers said. Sarir normally produces about 209,000 barrels per day (bpd). Libya pumped about 1.18 million bpd in July in total. Libya's National Oil Corporation NOC, which controls the country's oil resources, said on Friday the recent oilfield closures have caused the loss of approximately 63% of total oil production. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/libyas-hariga-port-stops-working-due-insufficient-oil-supplies-say-engineers-2024-08-31/

2024-08-31 05:59

MOSCOW, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Armenia's sole nuclear power plant, shut down on Friday for security reasons after a lightning strike, has been reconnected to the grid and will soon resume operations in full, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, citing local authorities. Several districts of the capital Yerevan and some other regions had suffered a blackout following the incident late on Friday, Interfax said. The plant was hit at 9:55 p.m. (1755 GMT) on Friday and was disconnected from the grid, Interfax cited the ministry of territorial administration and infrastructure as saying. "The reason (for the shutdown) was a lightning strike, which caused the station's safety systems to switch to safe shutdown mode," it said. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/armenia-says-lightning-strike-shuts-down-nuclear-power-station-interfax-reports-2024-08-31/

2024-08-31 05:47

TOKYO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - At least six people were dead as Typhoon Shanshan crept eastward through Japan on Saturday, drenching large areas with torrential rain, triggering landslide and flood warnings hundreds of kilometres from the storm's centre. Footage on national broadcaster NHK showed homes with roofs partly sheered off while cars drove wheels-deep on flooded roads in the country's southwest. The storm made landfall in Kyushu on Thursday, bringing record levels of rainfall. One person was missing and more than 100 have been injured, said Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency. More than 35,000 homes were without power in southern Kyushu's Kagoshima prefecture, according to Kyushu Electric. Shanshan, centred in the Pacific Ocean some 480 km (300 miles) southwest of Tokyo at 12:50 p.m. (0350 GMT), triggered heavy rain as far away as the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, despite being downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday. Winds were gusting up to 25 metres per second (90 kph, 55 mph). Authorities have issued flood and landslide warnings around the country since the storm's arrival, halting air and rail services and shutting factories. The storm is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression over the weekend but is expected to continue to bring heavy rain, NHK reported. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/japan/least-6-dead-japan-typhoon-shanshan-grinds-2024-08-31/