2024-07-07 17:31

Hurricane warnings issued across much of Texas coast Storm previously caused 11 deaths and destruction in the Caribbean Oil companies adjust operations; Shell evacuates workers from platforms July 7 (Reuters) - Hurricane Beryl strengthened as it neared the Texas coast on Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, forcing the closure of major oil ports, flight cancellations and a warning it would be a deadly storm for communities hit. Beryl, the earliest category 5 hurricane on record, last week swept through Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, toppling buildings and power lines and killing at least 11 people. The storm weakened after its deadly trail of destruction across the Caribbean, but strengthened into a category 1 hurricane as it crossed the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. By the time it reaches landfall near Houston on Monday it could be a category 2 storm. "Additional strengthening is expected before landfall on the Texas coast," the NHC said in its latest advisory. Acting Governor Patrick on Sunday declared 120 counties to be disaster areas ahead of the storm and warned Beryl "will be a deadly storm for people who are directly in that path." School systems - including the state's largest in Houston - said they would be closed as the storm approached. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, and officials ordered a smattering of evacuations in beach towns. Closures of major oil-shipping ports around Corpus Christi, Galveston and Houston ahead of the storm could disrupt crude oil exports, shipments of crude to refineries, and motor fuel from the plants. OIL REFINERIES Most of the northern Gulf's offshore oil and gas production is east of Beryl's forecast track. Some oil producers, including Shell (SHEL.L) New Tab, opens new tab and Chevron (CVX.N) New Tab, opens new tab, had evacuated personnel from their Gulf of Mexico offshore production platforms ahead of the storm. Citgo Petroleum Corp said it plans to keep the Corpus Christi refinery running at minimum production as the storm moves up the coast. Gibson Energy (GEI.TO) New Tab, opens new tab, which operates a large oil terminal in Corpus Christi, said operations were continuing, but it would take further steps depending on the forecast. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/storm-beryl-heads-texas-may-regain-hurricane-force-2024-07-07/

2024-07-07 06:48

TAIPEI, July 7 (Reuters) - Taiwan's central bank said on Sunday that it has no timetable for launching a digital currency, warning the process will be "huge and complex", but it will hold public hearings on the matter next year to spread knowledge. Taiwan's central bank has been working on a pilot for a government-run digital currency, to allow people to use a digital wallet and make payments without using a debit or credit card. "Although the bank currently has no timetable for issuing central bank digital currency, in the process of continuous research and experimentation it is already improving the processing efficiency and innovative application of the payment system," it said in a report to parliament. Given the currency's launch will affect many people it is necessary to widely communicate about it, and public hearings and forums will happen next year to promote knowledge of the currency, the bank said, ahead of its governor Yang Chin-long taking lawmaker questions on Monday. "The promotion of central bank digital currency is a huge and complex project that will need to be carried out for a long time," it added. A total of 134 countries representing 98% of the global economy are now exploring digital versions of their currencies, with over half in advanced development, pilot or launch stages, according to a study released in March. Supporters say digital currencies will allow new functionality and provide an alternative to physical cash. But they have also fuelled protests in a number of countries over the potential for government snooping. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-cbank-says-no-timetable-launching-digital-currency-2024-07-07/

2024-07-07 05:20

July 7 (Reuters) - Seven children were among 49 people who drowned in waters across Russia on Saturday as scorching heat blankets large swaths of the country, the Ministry for Emergency Situations said on Sunday. "A total of 65 incidents were registered on the country's water bodies over the past 24 hours - 49 people died," the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. That is 10 more drowning incidents that on the same day a year ago, Russia's RIA state news agency reported. Over the past week, Russians braved some of the hottest weather seen in more than a century, with Moscow breaking a 1917 record and cities across the world's biggest country sizzling in temperatures well above 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit). Russia's Service for Hydrometeorology said on Friday on its website that abnormal, sweltering heat was expected across most of the south of European parts of Russia over the weekend, with temperatures rising in some places above 40 degrees Celsius 104 Fahrenheit). In the Nizhny Novgorod region in central Russia, a 10-year-old girl drowned in the vast Volga River and her six-year-old sister disappeared, with divers still searching for her, the emergency ministry said. In the Bashkiria region, which lies between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains, three people drowned, including a 16-year-old girl, the ministry said. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/seven-children-among-49-people-drowned-across-russia-saturday-2024-07-07/

2024-07-07 05:11

KATHMANDU, July 7 (Reuters) - Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods killing at least 11 people in the last 36 hours in Nepal and blocking key highways and roads, officials said on Sunday. Eight people were missing, either washed away by floods or buried in landslides, while 12 others were injured and being treated in hospitals, police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki said. “Rescue workers are trying to clear the landslides and open the roads,” Karki told Reuters, adding heavy equipment was being used to clear debris. In southeastern Nepal, the Koshi River, which causes deadly floods in the eastern Indian state of Bihar almost every year, was flowing above the danger level, a district official said. “The flow of Koshi is rising and we have asked residents to remain alert about possible floods,” Bed Raj Phuyal, a senior official of Sunsari district where the river flows, told Reuters. He said at 0900 hours (0315 hours GMT) water flow in Koshi River was 369,000 cusecs per second, more than double its normal flow of 150,000 cusecs. Cusec is the measurement of the flow of water and one cusec is equal to one cubic foot per second. Authorities said all 56 sluice gates of the Koshi Barrage had been opened to drain out water compared with about 10-12 during a normal situation. Authorities said the flows of Narayani, Rapti and Mahakali rivers in the west were also rising. In hill-ringed Kathmandu, several rivers have overflown their banks, flooded roads and inundated many houses. Local media showed people wading through waist-deep water or residents using buckets to empty their houses. At least 50 people across Nepal have died in landslides, floods and lightning strikes since mid-June when annual monsoon rains started. Hundreds of people die every year in landslides and flash floods that are common in mostly mountainous Nepal during the monsoon season which normally starts in mid-June and continues through mid-September. In the northeastern Indian state of Assam, floods have killed dozens and displaced thousands of people in the past few days. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/heavy-rains-trigger-landslides-nepal-11-killed-8-missing-2024-07-07/

2024-07-06 19:20

HOUSTON, July 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard warned of possible Texas port closures from Corpus Christi to Houston and began restricting vessel traffic because of Tropical Storm Beryl, which is expected to become a hurricane before making landfall by Monday morning at Port Lavaca. Port closures could bring to a temporary halt shipments of crude oil to refineries and motor fuels from those plants. Port condition "Yankee" was set by the Coast Guard captain of the port of Corpus Christi on Saturday afternoon, restricting vessel movement in ports from Matagorda Bay, 101 miles (163 km) southwest of Houston, to the U.S.-Mexico border. Citgo Petroleum Corp was cutting production at its 165,000 barrel-per-day Corpus Christi, Texas, refinery on Saturday ahead of the approach of Beryl to the Texas coast. Citgo plans to keep the Corpus Christi refinery running at minimum production as the storm moves up the coast toward a projected landfall at Port Lavaca, a pipeline hub. Oil producer Shell Plc (SHEL.L) New Tab, opens new tab completed the evacuation of workers from its Perdido production platform in the U.S.-regulated Gulf of Mexico ahead of the approach of the storm, the company said on Friday night. Production on Perdido was shut prior to the evacuations. Shell said it also evacuated workers from the Whale platform, which is due to start production later this year. Gibson Energy (GEI.TO) New Tab, opens new tab, which operates a large oil terminal in Corpus Christi, said operations were continuing, but it would take further steps depending on the forecast. The storm was moving on Saturday with maximum sustained winds near 60 mph (95 kmh), the National Hurricane Center said. The latest forecasts would put Corpus Christi on the dry side of the storm where the lowest winds and least rain could be expected. But Beryl could bring gale-force winds to the port, which is why the Coast Guard restricts traffic or shuts the port. Most of the northern Gulf's offshore oil and gas production is east of Beryl's forecast track. U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore production of about 1.8 million barrels per day accounts for about 14% of total U.S. crude output, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Any impact on supplies could push up prices of U.S. oil and offshore crude grades. Oil major Chevron Corp (CVX.N) New Tab, opens new tab, among the biggest U.S. offshore producers, said on Friday that production from its operated assets remained normal. But it evacuated nonessential personnel from some of its Gulf of Mexico facilities. Murphy Oil Corp (MUR.N) New Tab, opens new tab said it has not shut in production or evacuated personnel, and continues to monitor the storm. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-coast-guard-says-hurricane-may-shut-oil-ports-2024-07-06/

2024-07-06 14:11

TORONTO, July 6 (Reuters) - A union representing ship and dock foremen in Canada's British Columbia has issued 72-hour strike notice against their employer DP World that will begin on Monday, BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said in a statement. BCMEA said late on Friday the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 (ILWU Local 1514) has filed the notice despite the Canada Industrial Relations Board commencing a hearing this week to address complaints between the BCMEA and ILWU Local 514. The hearing was scheduled to continue on August 6. ILWU Local 514 was not immediately available for comment. The office of the federal minister of labour said it was monitoring the situation. The ILWU said last month that 99% of the nearly 600 longshore foremen voted against a final offer from the employers association. The BCMEA and ILWU Local 514 have been negotiating on an industry-wide basis since November 2022. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadian-ship-dock-foremen-union-bc-issue-72-hour-strike-notice-employer-2024-07-06/