2024-12-19 07:42
PARIS, Dec 19 (Reuters) - France has declared itself to be free of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the absence of new outbreaks for more than a month, though the country remains on high alert for the virus that has been spreading rapidly in Europe, the agriculture ministry said. France had recorded 12 farm outbreaks of the disease, commonly called bird flu, since early August, as well as three cases among backyard poultry, the ministry said in a statement late on Wednesday. But surveillance was lifted in the past week at the locations of the most recent cases, it said. The return to bird flu-free status under international rules could help French trade by leading some importing countries to lift restrictions typically introduced following bird flu outbreaks. "Good news for our poultry sector, enabled by the vaccination strategy implemented since October 2023 and which will continue in 2025," acting Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said in a post on X regarding the bird flu-free status. France launched a year ago a vaccination programme for farm ducks, which are notably reared for foie gras pate and are seen as particularly vulnerable to bird flu. The United States, meanwhile, is grappling with transmission of bird flu to cattle and humans. The country on Wednesday reported its first severe human case of bird flu after suspected contact with an infected backyard flock. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/france-says-bird-flu-free-after-month-without-outbreaks-2024-12-19/
2024-12-19 07:38
NAIROBI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - The Kenyan shilling was steady on Thursday, with inflows from remittances matching importer demand for dollars, traders said. At 0716 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 129.00/129.50 per dollar, the same level as Wednesday's close. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/kenyan-shilling-steady-remittance-inflows-meet-demand-2024-12-19/
2024-12-19 07:34
MUMBAI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Helicopters and divers scoured the waters off India's financial capital of Mumbai on Thursday in a search for survivors of a freak boat accident that killed at least 13 people a day earlier, three navy personnel among them, officials said. A naval speedboat lost control and collided with a privately owned vessel taking tourists to the nearby Elephanta caves, famed for their rock art. The ferry capsized as a result, but 114 people were rescued. Of the 114 rescued, 97 were stable, four in critical condition and 13 dead, the municipal corporation said on messaging app WhatsApp. Navy and coast guard vessels joined in to search the harbour for at least two people still believed to be missing, an adult and a child, said a naval officer, who sought anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media. The officer said the accident happened during the trial of a new type of engine for the speedboat. "It appears that the engine got stuck at maximum throttle but we will know better once the inquiry is completed," the officer told Reuters. A naval spokesperson did not immediately respond, when asked for comment on the remarks. Television channels showed a speedboat with at least five on board crashing into the passenger vessel. Water started gushing into the privately-owned Neelkamal as soon as it was rammed, witnesses said, and passengers scrambled to don life jackets before jumping into the water. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the bereaved, offering relief payments of 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,400) to the next of kin, and 50,000 Indian rupees ($600) for each of the injured. "The boat mishap in Mumbai is saddening," he added in a post on X on Wednesday. The caves, which are UNESCO world heritage sites dating from the fifth and sixth centuries A.D., are thronged by tourists who make the roughly hour-long journey in boats from the Gateway of India monument at the city's southern tip. ($1=85.0600 rupees) Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/divers-helicopters-hunt-survivors-mumbai-boat-accident-that-killed-13-2024-12-19/
2024-12-19 06:56
DUBAI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) awarded on Thursday a 20.5 billion dirham ($5.6 billion) contract for the Dubai Metro Blue Line project to a consortium of three companies, the Dubai Media Office reported. The consortium consists of Turkey's MAPA and Limak, and China's state-owned CRRC. Dubai Media Office added that the metro line will span 30 km (18.64 miles) and include 14 stations. ($1 = 3.6729 UAE dirham) Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/dubai-roads-transport-authority-awards-56-bln-metro-line-project-consortium-2024-12-19/
2024-12-19 06:31
Fed projects fewer rate cuts in 2025 Gold hits lowest since Nov. 18 earlier in the session Investors await US PCE data due on Friday Dec 19 (Reuters) - Gold prices edged higher on Thursday, erasing earlier gains after U.S. data reinforced market expectations that the Federal Reserve will take a cautious approach to policy easing in the year ahead. Spot gold was up 0.4% at $2,598.20 per ounce as of 01:51 p.m. ET (1851 GMT) and U.S. gold futures settled 1.7% lower at $2,608.10. Data earlier showed the U.S. economy growing faster than expected in the third quarter, while jobless claims also fell more than anticipated. "With these GDP prints and the jobless claims, it's showing that the data is fairly firm," said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategies at TD Securities, adding that a solid economy and inflationary risks, including tariffs and spending cuts, reaffirm the Fed has little reason to be aggressive, which historically has not been good for non-yielding gold. Gold slipped more than 2% to a one-month low earlier in the session after Fed officials dialed back projections for future easing given stubborn inflation. The drop attracted investors to buy, sending prices as much as 1.5% higher earlier in the session. "The short-term dip in gold presented a good buy-in opportunity for long-term stackers. You have the looming debt problem, the potential government shutdown, and we're already seeing the posture of the new administration in terms of trying to cut the expenses and minimise the deficits," said Alex Ebkarian, chief operating officer at Allegiance Gold. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pre-inauguration push to sway Congress threatens to complicate efforts to avoid a government shutdown, potentially disrupting services such as air travel and law enforcement ahead of the holidays. Gold is considered a safe investment option during economic and geopolitical turmoil and tends to thrive in a low-interest-rate environment. Investors await Friday's release of core PCE data, the Fed's preferred inflation measure, for further clues on the economic outlook. Spot silver fell 1% to $29.05 per ounce, platinum added 0.3% at $922.40 and palladium rose 0.6% to $908.36. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/gold-recovers-one-month-low-short-covering-2024-12-19/
2024-12-19 06:08
HANOI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Police in Vietnam have arrested a man suspected of starting a blaze that killed 11 following an argument with staff in a Hanoi cafe, authorities said on Thursday, while two of the seven pulled from the flames were admitted to hospital. In a statement, police said the man had confessed to using gasoline to set Wednesday's fire on the ground floor of the three-storey cafe, where people were also singing karaoke-style. The suspect is in his early 50s, said the state-run Tien Phong newspaper, adding that one witness reported hearing an explosion. "The fire blocked all the exits," another witness told the paper. "The smell of gasoline was strong." It took about 40 minutes to rein in the fire, reported just after 11 p.m., police added, with two of the seven rescued admitted to hospital. Images in an online newspaper, VnExpress, showed firemen working to douse the flames, while the bodies of several victims were carried away. "I noticed a column of smoke from afar," it cited a witness as saying. "I was so frightened that I had to urge my grandchild to go downstairs." "The flames were so fierce. We saw the fire ... but there was nothing else we could do." On Thursday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for urgent investigation and strict action against anyone who violated the law. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hanoi-cafe-fire-kills-11-police-arrest-suspect-2024-12-19/
