2024-08-12 07:02

PARIS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Jean Lefevre like many French farmers has just endured one of the worst wheat harvests in decades as rain barely stopped from the moment he started sowing his grain last October to when he started gathering the crop last month. France, the European Union's largest grain producer, has experienced particularly wet weather in the past year, including a month of continuous rain in October-November, the wettest spring ever and violent storms last month. The rainy weather and soggy fields delayed sowings and hurt crop development, so much so that the farm ministry estimates France will harvest its worst wheat crop since the 1980s, down 25% from last year. Other cereals like winter barley have also been badly hit. "Since October we have had our feet in the water. We have sown in very complicated conditions, and today we are still harvesting in wet soil again. I have neighbours who got stuck with their harvesters or with their trailers," said Lefevre, 43, who farms in the Oise region of northern France. Wheat is the most widely grown cereal in France, with about half of it exported either within or outside the EU, helping the country's trade balance, even if France has faced stiff competition from Black Sea countries in recent years. Being a player on the world market, however, exposes France to swings in global prices. While farmers might have hoped to see local prices rise in the face of tight supplies, they actually remained pressured by a global grain glut linked to hefty crops in major producers such as competitor Russia. ALL AT ONCE Rising production costs since the pandemic - including for equipment, fertilizers and renting land - have been another problem, which together with low crop volumes and depressed prices present a triple whammy for farmers. "It's all at once, catastrophic crops, low prices and costs that have been as high," said Laurent Pollet, who grows crops on 200 hectares of land in the Oise region. Most farmers expressed frustration that the crisis comes as France only has a caretaker government since parliamentary elections last month called by President Emmanuel Macron. "When both crops and prices are bad, results are catastrophic. Some people will need psychological help and most of us will need financial support," Lefevre said. "But without a government, it's very complicated. "We were already talking to a wall, no we are talking to the wind." Lefevre joined thousands of farmers who protested earlier this year, blocking major highways around Paris, saying they were not paid enough and were choked by excessive regulation on environmental protection. Wheat growers say the grain crisis is unlikely to trigger new protests, mainly because they don't have time. "We are harvesting, rapeseed sowing starts in 10 days, then we move on to wheat sowing, we have the beet harvest from mid-September, we are in a tunnel until Nov. 15. So going back to the street is not an objective," said Emeric Duchesne, another grain grower in the Oise. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/rain-hit-crops-create-triple-whammy-french-grain-farmers-2024-08-12/

2024-08-12 07:00

Greece's worst fire this year amid months-high temperatures Waterbombing aircraft battle flames on Athens' outskirts Greece calls in help from EU allies Evacuations ordered in 30 areas, power cuts in region Winds to strengthen, high fire alert through Thursday ATHENS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Greece's worst wildfire this year spread into the Athens suburbs on Monday, forcing hundreds of people to flee as it torched trees, homes and cars and choked busy roads with smoke and ash. The government called for help from fellow EU members to tackle the fire that was burning out of control for a second day, fanned by gale force winds that pushed it from the wooded hills north of the city. Firefighters said flames, threatening apartment blocks, schools and businesses, had reached the deepest into the capital in over two decades. As night fell, the blaze showed no signs of abating. More than 700 firefighters backed by volunteers, 199 fire engines and 35 waterbombing aircraft have been battling the conflagration that broke out at 3 p.m. on Sunday near the village of Varnavas 35 km (20 miles) north of Athens. Greece is expecting assistance from France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Serbia and Turkey with aircraft and firefighters. "The situation remains extremely difficult," said Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a fire brigade spokesperson. "There are continuous flare-ups, constantly creating new outbreaks and spreading rapidly, aided by very strong winds." Summers in Greece have long been marked by wildfires but hotter, drier weather linked to climate change has made blazes more frequent and intense. Wildfires fanned by extreme heat have also raged in parts of Spain and the Balkans. As the flames closed in on backyards on the outskirts of Athens, some residents in the wooded and hilly Penteli neighbourhood stayed put, trying to put out pockets of fire using hoses or tree branches as smoke swirled around them. "It hurts, we have grown up in the forest, we feel great sadness and anger," said 24-year-old resident Marina Kalogerakou, her mouth and nose covered by a red bandana as she poured a bucket of water on a burning tree stump. Another resident, Pantelis Kyriazis, crashed his car as he tried to escape the encroaching flames. "I couldn't see, I hit a pine tree and this is what happened," he said, gesturing towards his damaged car and nursing a bleeding elbow. On Monday night police and fire crews went door to door in one neighborhood in Penteli, torches in hand, looking for anyone who might have been left behind. Columns of smoke rose over the horizon and a burning smell cloaked Athens. The fire reached Vrilissia, around 14 km (8 miles) from the heart of the capital, albeit with highways separating the suburb from the city centre. In the nearby suburb of Gerakas a wood factory was engulfed by flames. To the north, at the epicentre of the fire, firefighters and residents took stock of the damage: abandoned homes and vehicles gutted by fire, hillsides blackened, and trees reduced to sticks. "Thirty years I was building all this," said 81-year-old Vassilis Stroubelis as he stood in the entrance of his damaged home. "Thirty years and bam." RESIDENTS EVACUATED There were no reports so far of deaths. Thirteen people were treated by rescuers and medical staff for smoke inhalation and two firefighters for burns, Vathrakogiannis said. "The feeling was terrifying. Seeing everything up in smoke ... and to not be able to do anything," Penteli resident Nikos Adamopoulos said. More than 30 areas were forced to evacuate residents, along with at least three hospitals, and there were power cuts in parts of the wider Athens region. Passenger ferries heading to the port of Rafina northeast of the capital were diverted. In the community of Rampentosa, north of Athens, 75-year-old Michalis Tsourtis said he fled when he heard flames coming towards him "with a roar". But others stayed behind, lamenting that they had been left to their own devices. "Three, four policemen came to tell us to leave. We know that if we leave, no one will defend our house," 71-year-old Sofia Giannopoulou said. The Mediterranean country this year experienced its warmest winter on record and is on track for its hottest ever summer. Large areas of Greece, including the location of this week's blaze, have seen little or no rain for months. Greece is on high fire alert at least until Thursday with strong winds and temperatures forecast to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/greek-wildfire-rages-near-athens-towns-hospitals-evacuated-2024-08-12/

2024-08-12 06:38

TOKYO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Maria made landfall on Monday in Japan's northern region of Iwate, bringing torrential rain that disrupted flights and rail services while forcing people in some areas to evacuate homes, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. The storm, packing maximum wind speeds of 72 kph (45 mph), is expected to move towards the Sea of Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of risks from mudslides and floods after record-breaking rainfall over the last two days in some cities of the region. The government will do its best to tackle the situation, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters. "We'll continue to provide information to residents and support those evacuating," he said. Although Japan is observing a holiday, some high-speed bullet trains and regular services have been suspended in Iwate and other northern areas, while Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways also cancelled flights with the affected regions. Public broadcaster NHK said municipal authorities urged people in Iwate to take shelter. Media said no casualties had been reported, however. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/storm-brings-torrential-rain-japan-disrupts-transport-2024-08-12/

2024-08-12 06:35

MUMBAI, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The Indian central bank was likely selling dollars on Monday to support the rupee, which was holding just shy of its lifetime low, four traders told Reuters. The rupee was at 83.9650 to the dollar, within striking distance of the 83.9725 all-time low hit last Wednesday. In all probability, the Reserve Bank of India is "persistently" on offer (on dollar/rupee) on the inter-bank order matching system, a trader at a private sector bank said. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/indian-central-bank-likely-selling-dollars-8397-support-rupee-traders-say-2024-08-12/

2024-08-12 06:20

HANOI, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Vietnam is planning to subsidise electricity prices for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, as part of its efforts to promote the use of EVs and meet its energy transition commitments. The subsidy scheme is due to be submitted to the central government by mid-September for approval, the government said in a statement over the weekend. The Southeast Asian country, home of EV maker VinFast , is targeting carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with the commitment made by advanced economies. The country currently has just over 150,000 EV charging ports, most of which are owned and operated by VinFast. "Green energy transition is an essential and important task in the process of realising green development objectives and in fulfilling Vietnam's international commitments," the government said in the statement. The government will also work on incentives for EV production and imports, and for users to switch from internal combustion engine cars to EVs, according to the statement. The statement said Vietnam will ensure all urban areas have public EV charging systems, adding that a unified set of technical standards for these stations is to be issued by the end of this month. The country earlier rolled out policies to exempt registration fees and cut special consumption tax for new EVs. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-plans-electricity-subsidies-ev-charging-stations-2024-08-12/

2024-08-12 06:14

Putin says Ukraine is trying to improve negotiating position Putin says Russia will deliver a "worthy response" Putin says Russian advance is accelerating 180,000 people being evacuated from Kursk - governor Zelenskiy says cross-border assault a matter of security MOSCOW, Aug 12 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Ukraine's biggest attack on Russian territory since the start of the war was aimed at improving Kyiv's negotiating position ahead of possible peace talks and at slowing the advance of Russian forces. Ukrainian forces rammed through the Russian border last Tuesday and swept across some western parts of Russia's Kursk region, a surprise attack that laid bare the weakness of Russian border defences in the area. Putin, in his most detailed public remarks on the incursion to date, said Ukraine "with the help of its Western masters" was trying to improve its position ahead of possible talks. He questioned what negotiations there could be with an enemy he accused of firing indiscriminately at Russian civilians and nuclear facilities. "The main task, of course, is for the defence ministry to squeeze out, to knock out the enemy from our territories," Putin said, adding that Russian forces were accelerating their advance along the rest of the 1,000-km (620-mile) main front. "The enemy will certainly receive a worthy response," he said. He also said he expected further Ukrainian attempts to destabilise Russia's western border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the war was now coming back to Russia. He said that Ukraine's cross-border assault was a matter of security for Ukraine and that Kyiv had captured areas from where Russia launched strikes. His top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Ukraine controlled 1,000 sq km (386 sq miles) of Russian territory, far larger than the figures given by Russian officials. The acting governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, said Ukraine controlled 28 settlements in the region, and the incursion was about 12 km deep and 40 km wide. Putin told Smirnov that the military would report on such things and advised him to focus on updating on the socio-economic situation. In Kursk region alone, 121,000 people had already left or been evacuated and another 59,000 were in the process of being evacuated. In Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Kursk, thousands of civilians were also evacuated. Ukrainian forces in Kursk were trying to encircle Sudzha, where Russian natural gas flows into Ukraine, while major battles were under way near Korenevo, about 22 km (14 miles) from the border, and Martynovka. One Russian source with knowledge of official thinking said that by attacking Russia, Ukraine was emboldening Russian hardliners who argue that any ceasefire talks were a waste of time and that Russia should push much further into Ukraine. CRUCIAL JUNCTURE Russian officials say Ukraine is trying to show its Western backers that it can still muster major military operations just as pressure mounts on both Kyiv and Moscow to agree to talk about halting the war. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and now controls 18% of Ukrainian territory. Until the surprise attack on Russia, Ukraine had been losing territory to Russian forces despite hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. and European support aimed at stopping and even reversing the Russian advance. After more than two years of the most intense land war in Europe since World War Two, both Moscow and Kyiv have indicated that they are pondering possible talks, though in public both are still far apart on what a ceasefire might look like. Both also have an eye on the U.S. presidential election in November. Kyiv is concerned that U.S. support could weaken if Republican Donald Trump wins. Trump has said he would end the war, and both Russia and Ukraine are keen to gain the strongest possible bargaining position on the battlefield. Reuters reported in February that Putin's suggestion of a ceasefire in Ukraine to freeze the war was rejected by the United States. In June, Putin suggested possible terms including demands that Kyiv drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw all of its troops from four provinces claimed by Moscow. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, after talks with China, said last month that Kyiv was prepared for talks on the conflict with Russia provided Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity were fully respected. Kyiv says it is the victim of an imperial-style land grab by Putin and says it must gain control over all the land it has lost to Russia. The West says it cannot allow Putin to win. INTENSE FIGHTING The Ukrainian incursion is embarrassing for Putin's top military brass, which has repeatedly been criticised inside Russia by nationalists for its prosecution of the war. Former Ukrainian defence minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk told Reuters that the operation looked to be aimed at distracting Russian forces and its leadership from the eastern fronts. To counter it, Russia has been forced to mobilise reserves and declare an anti-terrorist lockdown in Kursk and two other regions, Bryansk and Belgorod. Putin said on Monday that, despite the attack, "our armed forces are moving forward along the entire line of contact". The Russian defence ministry said later that Russian forces had taken control of the settlement of Lysychne in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield claims. Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's security council, said last week that Russia had taken 420 sq km of territory from Ukrainian forces since June 14. Since the Aug. 6 border incursion into Kursk, the Russian rouble has weakened, losing 6% of its value against the U.S. dollar. Russia's Gazprom said it would send 39.6 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Monday. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-evacuates-another-border-region-amid-growing-threat-ukrainian-units-2024-08-12/