Missouri probes false report about screwworm pest that hurt US cattle prices
(Reuters) - Missouri authorities are investigating a fake press release about the damaging livestock pest New World screwworm that sparked a selloff in U.S. cattle futures markets last week, the state's agriculture department said on Friday.
U.S. agriculture officials and farmers are on high alert for screwworm as it has moved north in Mexico from Central America, arriving within about 700 miles (1,125 km) of the Texas border.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture indefinitely halted U.S. cattle imports from Mexico last month in a bid to keep out the parasite, which eats livestock and other wild animals alive. Screwworm infestations can kill cattle if left untreated and make them susceptible to secondary infections.
On May 27, a false press release was sent to a northwest Missouri radio station about screwworm, the Missouri Department of Agriculture said.
A report on the radio station's website pressured Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures before being taken offline, livestock traders said. Live cattle futures fell nearly 2% before paring losses, as daily trading volumes in the market spiked 77% from a week earlier.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol's Rural Crimes Investigative Unit, the Livestock and Farm Protection Task Force, and state attorney general are investigating the matter, Missouri's agriculture department said in a press release.
State officials want to determine "if this was an act with malicious intent to cause panic in agricultural markets," the department added.
U.S. cattle producers' group R-CALF USA last week asked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which regulates futures markets, to investigate.
The commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and exchange operator CME Group declined to comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
4 minutes ago
- New York Post
Tens of thousands flee their homes in Thailand and Cambodia as border clashes enter second day
Tens of thousands of people sought refuge on Friday as border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered a second day, heightening fears of a broader conflict. Thai-Cambodian border tensions flare 8 People take shelter in Surin, Thailand on Jul 25. REUTERS The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later Friday in New York, while Malaysia, which chairs a regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to hostilities and offered to mediate. The Thai Health Ministry on Friday said more than 58,000 have fled from villages to temporary shelters in four affected border provinces, while Cambodian authorities said more than 4,000 people have evacuated from areas near the border. The fighting has killed at least 14 people in Thailand, while Cambodia confirmed its first fatality on Friday. Tensions over a disputed border area erupted into fighting after a land mine explosion along the border on wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday. Clashes break out across border areas 8 Evacuees rest at a temporary shelter in Oddar Meachey province, Cambodia. REUTERS The Thai military reported clashes early Friday in multiple areas, including along the border at Chong Bok and Phu Makhuea in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province, at Phanom Dong Rak in Surin province, and near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple. Associated Press reporters near the border could hear sounds of artillery from early morning hours. The Thai army said Cambodian forces had used heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers, prompting what Thai officials described as 'appropriate supporting fire' in return. Thailand said one soldier and 13 civilians were killed, including children, while 15 soldiers and 30 civilians were wounded. 8 The Thai army said Cambodian forces had used heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers. AFP via Getty Images Cambodia's chief official in Oddar Meanchey province, Gen. Khov Ly, said a man died Thursday after a Thai rocket hit a Buddhist pagoda where he was hiding. At least four civilians in the province were also wounded Thursday. The Thai army denied it targeted civilian sites in Cambodia, and accused Cambodia of using 'human shields' by positioning their weapons near residential areas. Cambodia also claimed Thai airstrikes had landed near the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been at the center of past disputes. Authorities in Phnom Penh released photos they said showed damage to the site and pledged to seek international justice. The Thai military said the temple wasn't in its line of fire and accused Cambodia of distorting facts. Thousands flee villages near the border 8 A villager who fled his home near the Cambodia-Thailand border sits on a cart on the grounds of a pagoda in Oddar Meanchey province on July 25. AFP via Getty Images As the fighting intensified, villagers on both sides have been caught in the crossfire, leading many to flee. Around 600 people took shelter at a gymnasium in a university in Surin, Thailand, about 50 miles from the border. Evacuees sat in groups, on mats and blankets, and queued for food and drinks. Seamstress Pornpan Sooksai was accompanied by four cats in two fabric cages. She said she was doing laundry at her home near Ta Muen Thom temple when shelling began Thursday. 'I just heard, boom, boom. We already prepared the cages, clothes and everything, so we ran and carried our things to the car. I was frightened, scared,' she recalled. Rattana Meeying, another evacuee, said she had also lived through the 2011 clashes between the two countries but described this flare-up as worse. 8 A Cambodian military officer stands on a BM-21 Grad. REUTERS 'Children, old people, were hit out of the blue,' she said. 'I never imagined it would be this violent.' At the nearby Phanom Dong Rak hospital, periodic explosions could be heard Friday, and a military truck arrived with three injured Thai soldiers, including one who had both legs severed. Thursday's shelling shattered windows at one of the hospital's buildings and damaged its roof. In the neighboring Sisaket province, more villagers took their belongings and left homes in a stream of cars, trucks and motorbikes after they received an evacuation order on Friday. Across the border in Cambodia, villages on the outskirts of Oddar Meanchey province were largely deserted. Homes stood locked, while chickens and dogs roamed outside. 8 A pagoda damaged by Thai artillery is pictured in Oddar Meanchey province on July 25. AFP via Getty Images Some villagers earlier dug holes to create makeshift underground bunkers, covering them with wood, tarpaulin and zinc sheets to shield themselves from shelling. Families with children were seen packing their belongings on home-made tractors to evacuate, though a few men refused to leave. A remote Buddhist temple surrounded by rice fields accomodated several hundred evacuated villagers. Women rested in hammocks, some cradling babies, while children ran about. Makeshift plastic tents were being set up under the trees. Veng Chin, 74, pleaded with both governments to negotiate a settlement 'so that I can return to my home and work on the farm.' ASEAN chair calls for calm 8 People who fled their homes near the Cambodia-Thailand border rest on a homemade vehicle at a pagoda. AFP via Getty Images The conflict marks a rare instance of armed confrontation between member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, though Thailand has tangled with Cambodia before over the border and has had sporadic skirmishes with western neighbor Myanmar. Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair, expressed concern. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday he spoke to both Cambodian leader Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and urged them to open space for 'peaceful dialogue and diplomatic resolution.' Malaysia is willing to facilitate talks, he said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for restraint and urged both countries to resolve disputes through dialogue, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. It's the latest flareup in longstanding border tensions 8 Thai residents evacuate from their homes on July 25. AP The 500-mile frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The last major flare-up in 2011 left 20 dead. The current tensions broke out in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics. Things got worse when a land mine wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday, leading Bangkok to close the border and expel the Cambodian ambassador. The next day, clashes broke out along the border.
Newsweek
6 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Major Russian Arms Buyer Chooses To Go American
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Vietnam will purchase helicopters from the United States for its police force, as Hanoi—historically reliant on Russian weaponry—deepens its partnership with Washington. A Reuters report also stated that Vietnam's Defense Ministry is negotiating with Lockheed Martin over the purchase of C-130 military transport aircraft. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department referred Newsweek to the government of Vietnam regarding the Southeast Asian country's equipment procurement. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a written request for comment. Why It Matters Vietnam and the United States—former adversaries during the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975—have been expanding their defense cooperation since Washington lifted its arms sales ban in 2016, after which Hanoi acquired U.S. coast guard vessels and training aircraft. Prior to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia was a major weapons supplier to Vietnam. However, the Southeast Asian country is now diversifying its arms sources and enhancing domestic weapons production, creating opportunities for American defense firms. Earlier in July, President Donald Trump announced a trade agreement with Vietnam, under which U.S. goods exported to the Vietnamese market will face zero tariffs. Choosing American defense equipment may also help narrow the U.S. trade deficit with Vietnam. What To Know Citing people with knowledge of the talks, Reuters reported on Thursday that Vietnam's Public Security Ministry has agreed to acquire two helicopters from Lockheed Martin as Vietnamese pilots have been training with the U.S. defense giant's S-92 helicopters. According to Lockheed Martin, this type of helicopter is capable of performing a range of missions, including offshore energy transport, search and rescue, and airline operations. A total of 28 countries operate the S-92 helicopter for both civilian and military purposes. An Alaska Air National Guard pilot is seen with a S-92 helicopter at Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport in Utqiagvik, Alaska, on August 26, 2021. An Alaska Air National Guard pilot is seen with a S-92 helicopter at Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport in Utqiagvik, Alaska, on August 26, 2021. U.S. Air National Guard/David Bedard In addition to the helicopter deal worth over $100 million, the report stated that Vietnam's Defense Ministry is negotiating with Lockheed Martin over the purchase of C-130 military transport aircraft—designed for airlift missions and currently operated by 23 countries. In response to a Newsweek request for comment, Lockheed Martin said questions regarding Vietnam's defense purchasing deliberations or decisions should be directed to the Vietnamese government. The U.S.-based defense analysis website 19FortyFive reported in April—citing sources—that Vietnam is expected to buy 24 F-16 fighter jets, also manufactured by Lockheed Martin, to supplement its combat aircraft fleet, which is composed mainly of Russian jets. What People Are Saying The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam commented: "The United States supports a strong, prosperous, and independent Vietnam that contributes to regional and international security; engages in mutually beneficial and balanced trade relations; respects human rights and the rule of law; and grows its economic cooperation with America to strengthen energy security, increase U.S. prosperity, increase cooperation in technology, and reinforce our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media platform Truth Social on July 2: "Vietnam will do something that they have never done before, give the United States of America TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade. In other words, they will 'OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,' meaning that, we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether Vietnam will make additional purchases of military hardware, as it is involved in maritime disputes in the South China Sea with its neighbor, China.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Global equity funds draw weekly inflows on trade deal optimism
(Reuters) -Inflows into global equity funds picked up again in the week through July 23 as optimism over U.S. trade deals, stronger than expected U.S. economic reports and an encouraging start to the corporate earnings season boosted risk sentiment. Global investors snapped up a net $8.71 billion worth of equity funds during the week, reversing a $4.4 billion net withdrawal in the prior week, data from LSEG Lipper showed. The United States and Japan agreed a deal earlier this week which cut existing import tariffs on Japanese goods to a lower-than-threatened 15%. Investors were also hopeful about the prospects of the U.S. and the European Union settling on U.S. import tariffs of around 15%. Investors took comfort from encouraging initial earnings reports as advanced AI chip maker TSMC posted a record profit and Gatorade owner PepsiCo upgraded its earnings forecasts. Net European equity fund inflows reached an 11-week high of $8.79 billion, while Asian funds drew a net $1.17 billion. U.S. equity funds lagged, although net outflows eased to $2.68 billion from about $11.67 billion the prior week. The technology sector gained $1.61 billion, reversing the previous week's $576 million net outflow. The financial and industrial sectors also saw $1.13 billion and $1.61 billion net additions, respectively. Net purchases of global bond funds extended into a 14th week as they added $17.94 billion. Investors pumped $4.14 billion into short-term bond funds, the largest amount in 13 weeks. Euro-denominated bond funds and high-yield funds attracted a net $3.89 billion and $2.51 billion, respectively. Gold and precious metals commodity funds recorded a net $1.9 billion worth of purchases, the largest weekly figure since June 18. Global money market funds drew a net $2.09 billion after about $21.78 billion of net sales a week ago. Emerging markets saw a revival in buying interest with investors adding bond funds of $2.19 billion and equity funds of $250 million after net disposals of $1.14 billion and $155 million in the prior week, data for a combined 29,669 funds showed. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
