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PAHO: Measles outbreak in North America worsens, with 18 deaths so far this year
The Pan American Health Organization reported Friday that measles deaths in Mexico, Canada, and the United States have increased, as has the number of cases. Why it's important According to the U.N. agency, 71% of the cases were in people who had not been vaccinated, and 18% occurred in people whose vaccination status was unknown. By the Numbers PAHO data showed that as of August 8, 10139 measles cases and 18 deaths related to them had been confirmed in 10 countries across the Americas. This represents a 34-fold rise compared with the same period of 2024. Fourteen of the 18 deaths occurred in Mexico. Three in the United States, and one in Canada. PAHO reported that the majority of deaths in Mexico were among Indigenous people aged between 1 and 54. KEY QUOTES "Measles can be prevented with two doses a vaccine that has been proven safe and effective. To stop these outbreaks countries must strengthen routine immunizations and conduct targeted vaccinations campaigns in high-risk areas, said Daniel Salas. CONTEXT PAHO states that measles is highly infectious and spreads quickly among people who are not vaccinated, particularly children. A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States (CDC) revealed that the vaccination rate for certain diseases, including measles and diphtheria, decreased from the previous year among U.S. kindergarteners. (Reporting by Benjamin Mejias Valencia; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
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Russia is expecting a record-breaking sunflower harvest in 2025 despite the problems in southern Russia
Analysts say that the sunflower harvest is expected to reach a record in Russia this year despite the forecasts of a decline in the southern regions. This is due to the increase in acres and the good predictions for other regions in the country. IKAR, a Russian consultancy, forecasts 17.9-18 million metric tonnes compared with 16.2 million in 2024. SovEcon expects 17.9 millions tons. The decline in southern regions has been offset by the high figures of the Centre and Volga Regions, where conditions are favorable, and we estimate the yields will be above average," stated Andrei Sizov. Rosstat, the Russian state statistical agency, recorded that sunflower acres in Russia were expected to increase for the 2025 harvest, despite falling wheat margins. However, the increase was greater than analysts predicted, increasing by 13.2%, or 11.043 hectares. The market is pushing for a larger area of oilseed crops and fewer wheat crops. This is a powerful driver that will lead to new records for oilseed production in particular with favorable weather conditions", said Vitaly Shamaev. Igor Pavensky is the head of Rusagrotrans' analytical centre. He said that the company has increased its forecast of this year's harvest of sunflowers in Russia from 17.5 million tons to 18.5 million tons. This was primarily due to the reassessment the area under cultivation. Exports of sunflower oils could surpass Ukraine's, the current world leader in this field. Analysts say that this year's hot, dry weather in Ukraine's south regions has affected the harvest. SovEcon predicts that sunflower oil exports in Russia will reach a record 4.5-4.7 million tonnes in the next season, up from 4 million in 2024/25. Rusagrotrans expects to see a rise from 5.0-5.1 million to 5.4 millions, and IKAR from 4.65 to 5.2-5.3 million. (Reporting and editing by Nigel Hunt, Mark Porter, and Olga Popova)
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The economy of Peru grew by 4.52% in June, which was less than expected
The INEI statistics agency reported that the economy of Peru grew by 4.52% in July, which was less than expected despite growth across most sectors. Analysts polled by. Peru's mining and energy sectors, which are the third largest copper producers in the world, have grown by 1.01% over the past year. The fishing sector has also seen growth. Washington imposed a 50 percent levy on copper imports, a major Peruvian export. The measure was a watered down version of the original tariff. Construction and commerce both grew by 9.57%, and 8.76% respectively. Andean nations are recovering from the recession that began with the term of President Dina Bouluarte. Protests against the government impacted the mining industry and foreign investment in the country. Last month, Central Bank Chief Economist Adrian Armas stated that the economy is expected to grow by more than 4% for the month of June. However, he warned that the July number may have been affected by protests from informal miners who blocked a copper corridor. According to estimates by the central bank, GDP growth is expected to be around 3.1% in 2019. By 2026, it should drop to 2.9%. (Reporting and writing by Marco Aquino, Benjamin Mejias Valencia; Editing by Natalia Siniawski, Rod Nickel)
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After Geneva's failure, the US takes a tough stance on plastic pollution.
The failure of the sixth round of U.N. discussions on Friday to curb plastic production has dampened hopes for tackling this major source of pollution. Many supporters of restrictions are pessimistic that a global agreement will be reached during the Trump Administration. Participants said that a three-year push for a legally binding treaty to reduce plastic pollution, which chokes the oceans and damages human health, now seems to be drifting. Many states and activists blamed the failure of oil producers, including the United States. They said that the United States had hardened their long-held views and encouraged others to reject limits on new plastic production which would have curtailed output of polymers. Debbra Cisneros is a Panamanian negotiator who told us that the United States was less open in the previous rounds under Joe Biden’s administration. "This time, they just didn't want anything." "It was difficult because they were always against us on each of the key provisions," she said after the 11-day negotiations. The anti-plastic campaigners did not expect Washington to change its position after President Donald Trump signed in February an executive order encouraging the purchase of plastic drinking straws by consumers. Bjorn Bealer, International Coordinator of International Pollutants Elimination Network, a global network consisting of more than 600 public interest NGOs, said: "The mentality has changed, and they are looking to extract even more oil and natural gas from the ground." The U.S. State Department didn't immediately respond to an inquiry about its position and role in the negotiations. John Thompson, the U.S. delegate to the talks, declined to answer questions about its outcome. Washington expressed concern that the new regulations could raise the cost of all plastics. A spokesperson for the State Department said previously that each party must take actions according to their national context. Trump's administration has also reversed a number of U.S. environmental and climate policies, which it claims place an excessive burden on the national industry. Washington also showed its strength in the talks on another global environmental accord earlier this week when it threatened to take action against states that supported a proposal intended to reduce shipping emissions. Production limits are crucial for a coalition of 100+ countries looking to reach an ambitious agreement in Geneva. Sivendra Michael, Fiji's delegates, compared excluding this clause to "sweeping the floor while not turning off the water." The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), said that for every month of delay, nearly a half-million tons of plastic waste are accumulated - some of it washing up on beaches in island states. "CONSENSUS IS DEAD" Some participants blamed the organizers as well, the International Negotiating Committee Inc. (INC), an U.N.-established organization supported by the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP). The delegates were able to laugh and jeer at a formal meeting that lasted for less than one minute, an hour before midnight was set as the time when negotiations would conclude. Ana Rocha Global Plastics Policy director for environmental group GAIA said, "No one understood. Everyone was shocked." It's like they are playing with children. Agnes Pannier Runacher, France's Ecology Minister, called the proceedings "chaotic". When asked what went wrong, INC chairman Luis Vayas Valdivieso attributed the failure to the division between the countries and referred to the negotiations as complex. "But we've made progress, and that is important," he added. U.N. provisions rules require that all states agree. This is a constraint some find unworkable - especially in the context of a U.S. government that is moving away from multilateralism. "Consensus has died." "You cannot agree on a deal in which all countries that produce and export oil and plastics can decide what the deal will be", said IPEN's Beeler. Some delegates, campaigners and others suggested voting as a way to break the impasse or to abandon the U.N. led process altogether. The WWF, among others, called for ambitious states to pursue their own deal in the hopes of bringing plastics-producing countries on board later. The talks produced two draft agreements, one of which was more ambitious than another. Both were rejected. The next meeting is not yet known. States have agreed to meet at a future date. David Azoulay is the Managing Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law in Geneva. He said that it was a positive development when the top plastics producer, China, publicly acknowledged the importance of addressing the plastics' full life cycle. "This is a new development, and I believe this opens up an interesting opportunity." Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, Emma Farge and Valerie Volcovici; Additional reporting in Washington by Hansen Holger and Valerie Volcovici Editing by Dave Graham & Tomaszjanowski
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The US manufacturing industry stalls production in July
The U.S. factory output was unchanged in the month of July, suggesting that manufacturing activity is stalling while businesses deal with higher import tariff costs. The Federal Reserve reported a flat reading for manufacturing output on Friday, following a 0.3% rise in June that was upwardly revised. The economists polled had predicted that production in the sector, which represents 10.2% of GDP, would decline by 0.1%, following a 0.1% increase reported previously in June. In July, the production at factories increased by 1.4% compared to last year. The output of motor vehicles and parts fell by 0.3% in July after a 2.5% drop in June. In July, automakers typically close production lines for maintenance and new model development as well as the summer break. The factory output, excluding motor vehicles fell by 0.1% in July after increasing 0.5% in June. Citigroup economist Veronica Clark said that tariffs on steel and aluminum could lead to longer or wider-spread shutdowns in the summer. Donald Trump has imposed 50% duties on steel and aluminium, as well as 25% taxes on motor vehicles and their parts. Trump has justified the duties by claiming that they are necessary to revive the long-declining U.S. industry base. However, economists say this cannot be achieved in a short time period, citing the high production costs and labor costs. The production of furniture, miscellaneous transport equipment, and electrical appliances, as well as furniture, and other related products, increased. The production of machinery and primary metals declined. Durable goods manufacturing increased by 0.3%. The nondurable manufacturing sector saw a 0.4% decline in production, which was reflected across all categories. The mining output dropped 0.4% in August after falling 0.3% the previous month. Utilities production slid 0.2%. This followed a surge of 1.8% in June. The overall industrial production dropped by 0.1% in July after increasing 0.4% in June. The industrial output increased 1.4% year-over-year. The capacity utilization rate for the industrial sector has fallen to 77.5%, down from 77.7%. This is 2.1 points below the average for 1972-2024. The manufacturing sector's operating rate dropped to 76.8% in July from 76.9%. This is 1.4% below the long-term average. Lucia Mutikani, Andrea Ricci and Andrea Ricci (Reporting)
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Trump has said that he will impose tariffs on steel, semiconductor chips and other products in the coming weeks
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said Friday that he will announce tariffs in the coming weeks on steel imports and semiconductor chips. Trump said to reporters on Air Force One, as he was heading towards a meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that he would be imposing tariffs on steel the following week, and then on chips, I'd say. He said that the tariffs would initially be lower to allow the companies to develop domestic manufacturing in the U.S. and then rise sharply, as he had also described for the tariffs on pharmaceuticals. He gave no exact rates. He said, "I will have a lower rate at first to give them time to build up and then a very high rate after a period of time." Trump expressed his confidence that businesses would choose to manufacture in the United States rather than pay high tariffs. Trump has reshaped global trade, imposing tariffs and higher duties on almost all exports from countries to the United States. In February, Trump raised the tariffs on aluminum and steel to a flat rate of 25%. But in May, he announced that he was going to double it to 50% in order to boost domestic producers. It wasn't immediately clear whether another metals tariff was on the way. Trump announced last week that he would impose 100% tariffs on semiconductor imports. However, companies who committed to increasing manufacturing in the United States will be exempt. Apple announced that it would invest an additional $100 billion into its domestic market. (Reporting and editing by Ross Colvin, Andrea Shalal and Steve Holland)
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Trump said it would be up to Ukraine decide on territorial swaps
U.S. president Donald Trump said that he would not be negotiating on behalf of Ukraine during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday and would allow Kyiv to decide whether it would engage in territorial exchanges with Russia. Trump stated that his goal was for the two sides of the conflict to begin a dialogue, and any territorial swaps would be discussed at this time. "They will be discussed but I have to let Ukraine decide, and I believe they will make the right decision." "I'm not here for Ukraine to negotiate, I'm there to get them to a table," Trump said to reporters aboard Air Force One. Trump's remarks will likely offer some assurances to Ukraine. Ukraine is concerned that the U.S. and Russia talks could cause the conflict to be frozen at the expense of Ukraine. Trump said that the Russian offensive against Ukraine likely served to help strengthen Putin's position in negotiations to end the conflict. "I believe they are trying to negotiate." He is trying to set the stage. It helps him to make a deal. In his mind, it hurts him. Given the stakes and the weakness of the Russian economy, the U.S. President said that he expected the meeting with Putin to yield results. He said, "He is a smart man, he has been doing this for a very long time, but I have also done it... We get along well, we respect each other, and I believe that something will come out of it." Trump said that it was good to see Putin bringing Russian businessmen with him, but that no deals would be possible until the war is over. He said: "I like it because they want to do a business but they won't until the war is settled." Reporting by Steve Holland and Susan Heavey, writing by Andrea Shalal, editing by Ross Colvin & David Goodman
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Copper falls on concerns over weak Chinese data
Copper prices fell on Friday due to gloomy data on China's economy, the world's largest metal consumer. However, losses were mitigated by a falling dollar and the hope that these data would prompt Beijing to take more stimulative measures. The price of three-month copper at the London Metal Exchange dropped 0.4%, to $9,730 per metric ton, in open-outcry official trading. This is down from Tuesday's two-week high. The data released on Friday revealed that China's factory production growth fell to a new eight-month low during July, while retail sales dropped sharply. The Shanghai Futures Exchange copper contract eased by 0.1%, to 79.060 yuan (11,008.23 dollars) per ton. Neil Welsh, Britannia Global Markets' head of metals, said that these indicators indicate a subdued environment for base metals. This is likely to be a factor in the metal prices and consumption, as concerns about a slowing Chinese economic growth are prevalent. The prices were supported by the hope that weak data will put pressure on Chinese policymakers, who can then roll out additional stimulus measures to stimulate domestic demand. A weaker dollar also helped the market as investors were cautious in their outlook for interest rates ahead of the import price data. The dollar's decline makes goods priced in U.S. dollars less expensive for buyers who use other currencies. U.S. Comex Copper Futures dropped 0.1% to $4.48 lb at 1225 GMT. This brings the Comex Premium over LME Copper to $127 per ton, or 1.3%. Other metals include LME aluminium, which fell 0.7% to $2.601,50 per ton in official activity, while zinc and lead both dropped 0.3% each to $1.984 and $2.813 respectively. Nickel was up by 0.3%, at $15.075; and tin rose 0.3%, to $33,550. Click here to see the latest news in metals.
Coral reefs suffer fourth worldwide bleaching event, NOAA says
Along coastlines from Australia to Kenya to Mexico, a number of the world's vibrant coral reefs have turned a ghostly white in what researchers stated on Monday amounted to the 4th international whitening occasion in the last three years. At least 54 nations and areas have actually experienced mass bleaching among their reefs since February 2023 as environment change warms the ocean's surface waters, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch, the world's leading coral reef monitoring body.
Whitening is triggered by water temperature anomalies that trigger corals to expel the colorful algae living in their tissues. Without the algae's aid in delivering nutrients to the corals, the corals can not survive.
More than 54% of the reef areas in the worldwide ocean are experiencing bleaching-level heat tension, Reef Watch planner Derek Manzello said.
Announcement of the latest international bleaching occasion was made jointly by NOAA and the International Reef Initiative ( ICRI), an international intergovernmental conservation partnership. For an occasion to be deemed worldwide, considerable whitening needs to happen in all 3 ocean basins - the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian - within a 365-day period. Like this year's bleaching event, the last 3 - in 1998, 2010 and 2014-2017 - also coincided with an El Nino environment pattern, which usually introduces warmer sea temperatures. Sea surface temperatures over the previous year have actually smashed records that have been kept given that 1979, as the results of El Nino are intensified by environment change. Corals are invertebrates that live in nests. Their calcium carbonate secretions form tough and protective scaffolding that acts as a home to the single-celled algae.
Scientists have expressed issue that much of the world's. reefs will not recuperate from the intense, extended heat tension.
What is happening is new for us, and to science, stated. marine ecologist Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip at the National. Autonomous University of Mexico.
We can not yet predict how severely stressed corals will. do, even if they make it through instant heat stress, Alvarez-Filip. included.
Repeating whitening occasions are upending earlier scientific. designs that anticipate that in between 70% and 90% of the world's. coral reefs might be lost when worldwide warming reached 1.5. degrees Celsius (2.7 F) above pre-industrial temperature levels. To. date, the world has warmed by some 1.2 C (2.2 F).
In a 2022 report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on. Climate Change, professionals identified that simply 1.2 C of warming. would be enough to significantly affect coral reefs, with the majority of. offered proof suggesting that coral-dominated environments. will be non-existent at this temperature.
This year's worldwide lightening occasion adds further weight to. concerns among researchers that corals remain in serious risk.
A sensible analysis is that we have actually crossed the. tipping point for coral reefs, said ecologist David Obura, who. heads Coastal Oceans Research and Advancement Indian Ocean East. Africa from Mombasa, Kenya.
They're entering into a decline that we can not stop, unless we. actually stop co2 emissions that are driving climate. modification, Obura added.
Reef are approximated to supply some $2.7 trillion in. goods and services every year - with benefits such as attracting. tourists, protecting coastal neighborhoods from storm rises, and. supporting coastal fisheries, according to a 2020 evaluation by. ICRI's clinical network.
WORLDWIDE BLEACHING COULD BE WORST YET
With lightening surveys ongoing in the Indian Ocean and. Pacific, NOAA professionals expect that this international bleaching occasion. might turn out to be the most extensive yet.
Caribbean reefs experienced extensive bleaching last August. as seaside sea surface temperature levels hovered in between 1 C (1.8 F). and 3 C (5.4 F) above typical. Scientists operating in the region. then started recording mass die-offs throughout the area.
From the staghorns to brain corals, whatever that you can. see while diving was white in some reefs, Alvarez-Filip stated. I have never seen this level of bleaching.
Bleached corals can recover if waters cool, but some. Caribbean corals were so stressed out that they continued to pass away. even as temperature levels dropped over winter, Alvarez-Filip included.
Florida corals subjected to severe heat shocks did not even. have time to bleach, Manzello stated.
They got so stressed out, they simply passed away and sloughed off their. tissue, Manzello said.
At the end of the Southern Hemisphere summer season in March,. tropical reefs in the Pacific and Indian oceans likewise began to. suffer.
A record-breaking number of individual reefs within the. Terrific Barrier have struggled with heat stress in current months,. and many are now draining of color, said coral biologist Neal. Cantin at the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences. Cantin. noted that marine heatwaves were registering some 2.5 C (4.5 F). above the regular summertime maximum.
Current aerial surveys have revealed very high or severe. levels of lightening in almost half of surveyed reefs in the. Fantastic Barrier Reef Marine Park area.
That makes this the 5th whitening occasion in the Great. Barrier Reef in just 9 years - much more regular than the. twice per years that researchers anticipated by the 2030s.
Indian Ocean reefs off Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya and the. Seychelles have also suffered whitening, though not as severely. as in 2016 thanks to an early change in this year's monsoon. resulting in cooler conditions, Obura said.
The stress experienced by corals in the area is most likely. less than it might have been, which is very fortunate, Obura stated.
(source: Reuters)