2025-10-27 07:42
Weather has worsened since 2022, farmers say More heat, longer summers inhibit crabs' growth Hairy crabs prized for sweet flesh, golden roe YANGCHENG LAKE, China, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The last three years have been the toughest for Xie Dandan and her family during more than a decade cultivating one of China's most esteemed culinary delicacies, the "hairy crab", named for its furry claws. "From 2022, it feels like the weather has been getting worse every year," said the 34-year-old, standing amid tanks filled with the crabs, coveted for their sweet flesh and golden roe, while she wrapped some in straw to prepare them for customers. Sign up here. "We've come to mentally prepare for these losses." Xie is among the farmers at Yangcheng lake in the eastern province of Jiangsu being forced to devise new ways to keep the crustaceans alive as unusually high temperatures and longer-than-expected summers have disrupted breeding cycles since 2022. The Chinese mitten crabs, as they are also known, can sell for hundreds of dollars when exported in sets of four to countries such as Singapore and Japan. "Those who work in agriculture are at the mercy of the sky," said Xie, whose community reeled last year from losses caused by the strongest typhoon to hit the east coast since 1949, ripping out nets and shutting down oxygenation systems. Higher temperatures than usual spell a triple threat for the crabs by slowing their growth, reducing the amount of oxygen in the water and boosting growth of bacteria, said Kenneth Leung, a marine environment expert at the City University of Hong Kong. Hopes for a bumper harvest this year were crushed by summer temperatures around the lake in Suzhou city famed for some of the tastiest crabs, which stayed above 30 degrees C (86 degrees F) until late October, delaying their maturity. The labour-intensive cultivation of the crabs begins with farmers growing their larvae in ponds for about a year before they are moved to fenced farms within the lake for the creatures to molt, or shed their outer shells, as they grow. Molting happens about five times between March and the traditional end-September start of the harvest, Xie said. But stronger heat can kill crabs as they shed their shells, in addition to the delay in maturity caused by longer summers. In 2022, farmers dumped blocks of ice into the water to cool it, Xie said. Some of eastern China's hottest and longest summers in the last three years have brought temperatures of 40 degrees C (104 degrees F), or higher, on consecutive days as early as July. In September, weather officials said this year's summer was China's hottest since 1961, while northern rains were the longest in the same period, bringing disruptions that scientists have linked to climate change. Leung suggested selective breeding as a possible solution, by choosing crabs with a greater tolerance of higher temperatures for breeding. Authorities expect the lake to yield a harvest of 10,350 metric tons this year, roughly in line with previous years' figures, except for 9,900 tons last year, when the typhoon hit. While crab farmers may pray for better weather next year, they know they ultimately have little control, Xie added. "We only can see whether the hairy crabs will be able to adapt, and if they can't, then maybe this industry will just be eliminated. We can't do anything about it." (This story has been refiled to fix a typo in paragraph 7) https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-heatwaves-threaten-dry-up-supply-delicious-hairy-crabs-2025-10-27/
2025-10-27 07:26
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Reuters) - European Council President Antonio Costa on Monday said he conveyed his strong concerns to Chinese Premier Li Qiang about Beijing's expansion of export controls on critical raw materials. Costa also expressed the European Union's expectations that China will assist in ending Russia's war against Ukraine, he said in a statement following a meeting with Li on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia. Sign up here. Li said China is willing to expand and deepen "optimised and balanced" trade cooperation with the European Union, according to a readout of the meeting from the Chinese side that was released by the official Xinhua news agency. Beijing and Brussels, embroiled in a number of trade disputes in recent years covering Chinese electric vehicles and European pork and dairy products, have lately tried to work together to fend off trade uncertainties from Washington. But Beijing's rare-earth export controls and a perception that China has been inactive with regard to Russia's assault on Ukraine have stood in the way of further consensus-building. Bilateral relations have faced challenges and opportunities, Li said, as he called on the EU to foster a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese firms. Both sides should "promote the resolution of existing problems in China-EU economic and trade cooperation through dialogue, consultation, mutual understanding and accommodation," Li said. Last week, China's commerce minister spoke with the EU's trade commissioner and the Dutch economy minister to discuss, among other issues, a stand-off over China-owned chipmaker Nexperia. Dutch authorities seized control of Nexperia last month, citing fears that the company's technology would be taken by its Chinese owner, Shanghai-listed Wingtech. China, where most of Nexperia's chips are packaged, responded by blocking exports of the company's finished products, alarming European carmakers that rely on them. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/eus-costa-expressed-concerns-chinas-li-expanding-mineral-export-curbs-2025-10-27/
2025-10-27 07:17
SINGAPORE, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Electric services firm GE Vernova and power generation company YTL PowerSeraya will jointly conduct a carbon capture feasibility study for its gas turbine plant in Singapore, GE Vernova said on Monday. The study aims to capture at least 90 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions at YTL PowerSeraya's hydrogen-ready combined-cycle gas turbine 600-megawatts power plant, set to be built by the end of 2027 on Singapore's Jurong Island manufacturing hub. Sign up here. The post-combustion carbon capture proposal will be co-funded by the Singapore Energy Market Authority. GE Vernova's first carbon capture assessment in Singapore is aimed at improving the proposed carbon capture process and reducing its impact on the power plants' output, performance and costs, said Ramesh Singaram, president and CEO of GE Vernova's Gas Power business in Asia Pacific. Singapore aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 by driving renewable technology projects in various sectors, including power generation. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ge-vernova-ytl-powerseraya-partner-capture-carbon-gas-turbine-plant-singapore-2025-10-27/
2025-10-27 07:08
AIR FORCE ONE/TOKYO, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said a decision on the next Federal Reserve chair might be made by the end of the year. "Maybe by the end of the year, we'll make a decision on the Fed," he told reporters on the Air Force One. Sign up here. "We're going to do a second round, and we hope to present a good slate to the president right after Thanksgiving," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. The pool of candidates has been narrowed to five, including Trump's aide Kevin Hassett, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, current Fed Governor Christopher Waller, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman and BlackRock executive Rick Rieder, Bessent said. https://www.reuters.com/business/trump-says-new-fed-chair-decision-might-be-made-by-year-end-2025-10-27/
2025-10-27 06:47
OPEC+ leaning towards making another modest increase in oil output for December US President Trump, Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are due to meet on Thursday Iraq's oil exports unaffected by Zubair oilfield fire HOUSTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled marginally lower on Monday as OPEC's plans to increase oil output once again outweighed hopes of a trade deal framework between the U.S. and China and renewed U.S. sanctions on Russia. Brent crude futures were down about 32 cents, or nearly 0.5%, at $65.62 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures closed 19 cents or 0.3% lower at $61.31. Both contracts fell around 1% in early trade. Sign up here. Eight OPEC+ nations are leaning towards making another modest increase in oil output for December when they meet on Sunday as Saudi Arabia pushes to reclaim market share, four sources familiar with the talks said. U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are due to meet on Thursday to decide on that could pause tougher U.S. tariffs and China's rare-earth export curbs, easing market jitters around a trade war. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that U.S. and Chinese officials had hashed out a "substantial framework" for a trade deal that could avoid 100% U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and achieve a deferral of China's rare-earth export controls in trade discussions this week. "Crude futures are taking a breather from last week's steep rally as President Trump is meeting with Chinese President Xi and staff for trade negotiations on Thursday to hopefully finalize most differences," said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial. The United States hit Russia's major oil companies with sanctions on Wednesday, which could hurt Russia's oil exports if enforced and be a positive for crude prices, Kissler added. "While the futures market has added in additional trade with China and less crude exports from Russia, traders remain cautious as to how much this will actually affect global supplies," Kissler said. DEMAND CONCERNS ALSO WEIGH ON OIL Concerns over lacklustre demand have weighed on the market, with Brent falling to its lowest since May earlier this month, but renewed sanctions on Russia from the U.S. along with stronger-than-expected U.S. demand have helped buoy prices. "The hope for bulls is that U.S. consumption continues to recover, otherwise it seems the drift lower seen so far today is likely to intensify," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Bank. OPEC and its allies have changed course this year by reversing previous production cuts to regain market share, helping in part to keep a lid on oil prices. Iraq, the OPEC group's biggest overproducer, was in negotiations over the size of its quota within its available capacity of 5.5 million barrels per day, oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said at an oil conference on Monday. The fire at Iraq's Zubair oilfield on Sunday did not impact exports from the country, he added. Last week, Brent and WTI rose 8.9% and 7.7%, respectively, on U.S. and EU sanctions on Russia. "There are likely some continued challenges for Russian oil to enter the market, but it depends on how sanctions will be enforced," said Rystad analyst Janiv Shah. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-prices-rise-after-us-china-reach-trade-deal-framework-2025-10-27/
2025-10-27 06:35
HYDERABAD, Oct 27 (Reuters) - India moved 50,000 people to relief camps on Monday as it began evacuations a day before Cyclone Montha, intensifying over the Bay of Bengal, is set to bring strong winds and heavy rains to its east coast, officials said. Authorities cancelled holidays for emergency staff and ordered schools and colleges to close in coastal areas of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and the eastern state of Odisha forecast to be hit by the harsh weather. Sign up here. The cyclone is likely to turn into a severe storm by Tuesday, before crossing the coast of Andhra Pradesh later in the day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. "Evacuation of people from near the coast in Kakinada district has already started," a disaster management official in Andhra Pradesh told Reuters. Nearly 50,000 people have been moved to relief camps, a government report showed. Disaster teams have fanned out to move families from low-lying areas in Andhra Pradesh, where the government expects 3.9 million people to be affected. Fishermen in the neighbouring state of Odisha were warned to avoid venturing to sea. Cyclones frequently hit India's east coast between April and December. A super cyclone that killed nearly 10,000 when it hit Odisha in October 1999 remains one of the country's deadliest natural disasters. Authorities in the southern state of Tamil Nadu have urged people to keep alert following forecasts for heavy to very heavy rain in some districts. Chennai, the state capital, is prone to flooding during intense rains, such as those brought by Cyclone Michaung in 2023. In the Himalayan nation of Nepal, disaster authorities have warned of possible rain and snowfall from Tuesday through Friday and advised trekkers to keep alert. Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains across Nepal killed 53 people this month. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/india-evacuates-tens-thousands-cyclone-montha-gains-strength-2025-10-27/
