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Japan Today
16-05-2025
- Health
- Japan Today
World's biggest poultry exporter Brazil confims bird flu outbreak
FILE PHOTO: Talita de Lima Freitas, federal agricultural inspector, works on a sample to test for avian influenza virus at the Reference Laboratory of the World Organization for Animal Health in Campinas, Brazil April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli/File Photo By Isabel Teles, Ana Mano and Roberto Samora Brazil, the world's largest poultry exporter, confirmed its first outbreak of bird flu on a commercial farm on Friday, triggering a ban on shipments to China and raising the prospect of restrictions from other trade partners. Brazil exported $10 billion of chicken meat in 2024, accounting for about 35% of global trade. Much of that came from meat processors BRF and JBS, which ship to some 150 countries. China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, are among the main destinations for Brazil's chicken exports. Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said on Friday China had banned poulty imports from the country for 60 days, but that Brazilian chicken in transit to other countries would not face problems. Chinese customs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside of business hours. The outbreak occurred in the city of Montenegro in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, the agriculture ministry said. The state accounts for 15% of Brazilian poultry production and exports, national pork and poultry group ABPA said in July 2024. BRF had five processing plants operating in the state as of May 2024. JBS has also invested in chicken processing plants in Rio Grande do Sul under its Seara brand. The veterinary officials have begun isolating the area of the outbreak in Montenegro and culling the remaining birds, in line with protocol, the state agricultural secretariat said. "A complementary investigation will be carried out within an initial radius of 10 km (6 miles) from the area where the outbreak occurred, and into possible links with other properties," the secretariat said. The ministry also said it was acting to contain and eradicate the outbreak, officially notifying the World Organization for Animal Health, Brazil's trade partners and other interested parties. "All necessary measures to control the situation were quickly adopted, and the situation is under control and being monitored by government agencies," industry group ABPA said in a statement. Asked for a company response, JBS deferred to ABPA. Miguel Gularte, CEO of BRF, told a call with analysts he was confident Brazilian health protocols were robust and "this episode" would be quickly overcome. Since 2022, bird flu has swept through the U.S. poultry industry, killing around 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds, severely affecting production of meat and eggs. Bird flu has also infected nearly 70 people in the U.S., with one death, since 2024. Most of those infections have been among farmworkers exposed to infected poultry or cows. The further spread of the disease raises the risk that bird flu could become more transmissible to humans. Brazil, which exported more than 5 million metric tons of chicken products last year, first confirmed outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian flu among wild birds in May 2023 in at least seven states. The disease is not transmitted through the consumption of poultry meat or eggs, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement. "The Brazilian and world population can rest assured about the safety of inspected products, and there are no restrictions on their consumption," the ministry said. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Straits Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Vatican conclave to pick new pope, world waits for white smoke
A view shows St. Peter's Basilica, ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope, as seen from Rome, Italy, May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli VATICAN CITY - Roman Catholic cardinals will begin the task on Wednesday of electing a new pope, locking themselves away from the world until they choose the man they hope can unite a diverse but divided global Church. In a process dating to medieval times, the cardinals will file into the Vatican's frescoed Sistine Chapel after a public Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and start their secret conclave for a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month. No pope has been elected on the first day of a conclave for centuries, so voting could continue for several days before one of the red-hatted princes of the Church receives the necessary two-thirds majority to become the 267th pontiff. There will be only one ballot on Wednesday. Thereafter, the cardinals can vote as many as four times a day. Black smoke from a chimney on the roof of the chapel will mark an inconclusive vote, while white smoke and the peeling of bells will signal that the 1.4-billion member church has a new leader. The pope's influence reaches well beyond the Catholic Church, providing a moral voice and a call to conscience that no other global leader can match. Cardinals in recent days have offered different assessments of what they are looking for in the next pontiff. While some have called for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, others have said they want to turn the clock back and embrace old traditions. Many have indicated they want a more predictable, measured pontificate. A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries will enter the Sistine Chapel, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave in 2013 -- growth that reflects Francis' efforts to extend the reach of the Church to far-flung regions with few Catholics. No clear favourite has emerged, although Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered the front-runners. NO EAVESDROPPING However, if it quickly becomes obvious that neither can win, votes are likely to shift to other contenders, with the electors possibly coalescing around geography, doctrinal affinity or common languages. Among other potential candidates are France's Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary's Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost and Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa. "Wait and see. It takes some patience," Italian Cardinal Mario Zenari told reporters on Tuesday. As in medieval times, the cardinals will be banned from communicating with outsiders during the conclave, and the Vatican has taken high-tech measures to ensure secrecy, including jamming devices to prevent any eavesdropping. The average length of the last 10 conclaves was just over three days and none went on for more than five days. A 2013 conclave lasted just two days. The cardinals will be looking to wrap things up quickly again this time to avoid giving the impression that they are divided or that the Church is adrift. Some 80% of the cardinals who enter the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday were appointed by Francis, increasing the possibility that his successor will in some way continue his progressive policies despite strong pushback from traditionalists. Among their considerations will be whether they should seek a pope from the global south where congregations are growing, as they did in 2013 with the Argentinian Francis, hand back the reins to Europe or even pick a first U.S. pope. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Vatican conclave to pick new pope, world waits for white smoke
A view shows St. Peter's Basilica, ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope, as seen from Rome, Italy, May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Roman Catholic cardinals will begin the task on Wednesday of electing a new pope, locking themselves away from the world until they choose the man they hope can unite a diverse but divided global Church. In a process dating to medieval times, the cardinals will file into the Vatican's frescoed Sistine Chapel after a public Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and start their secret conclave for a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month. No pope has been elected on the first day of a conclave for centuries, so voting could continue for several days before one of the red-hatted princes of the Church receives the necessary two-thirds majority to become the 267th pontiff. There will be only one ballot on Wednesday. Thereafter, the cardinals can vote as many as four times a day. Black smoke from a chimney on the roof of the chapel will mark an inconclusive vote, while white smoke and the peeling of bells will signal that the 1.4-billion member church has a new leader. The pope's influence reaches well beyond the Catholic Church, providing a moral voice and a call to conscience that no other global leader can match. Cardinals in recent days have offered different assessments of what they are looking for in the next pontiff. While some have called for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, others have said they want to turn the clock back and embrace old traditions. Many have indicated they want a more predictable, measured pontificate. A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries will enter the Sistine Chapel, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave in 2013 -- growth that reflects Francis' efforts to extend the reach of the Church to far-flung regions with few Catholics. No clear favourite has emerged, although Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered the front-runners. NO EAVESDROPPING However, if it quickly becomes obvious that neither can win, votes are likely to shift to other contenders, with the electors possibly coalescing around geography, doctrinal affinity or common languages. Among other potential candidates are France's Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary's Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost and Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa. "Wait and see. It takes some patience," Italian Cardinal Mario Zenari told reporters on Tuesday. As in medieval times, the cardinals will be banned from communicating with outsiders during the conclave, and the Vatican has taken high-tech measures to ensure secrecy, including jamming devices to prevent any eavesdropping. The average length of the last 10 conclaves was just over three days and none went on for more than five days. A 2013 conclave lasted just two days. The cardinals will be looking to wrap things up quickly again this time to avoid giving the impression that they are divided or that the Church is adrift. Some 80% of the cardinals who enter the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday were appointed by Francis, increasing the possibility that his successor will in some way continue his progressive policies despite strong pushback from traditionalists. Among their considerations will be whether they should seek a pope from the global south where congregations are growing, as they did in 2013 with the Argentinian Francis, hand back the reins to Europe or even pick a first U.S. pope. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Cardinals hope for speedy conclave to pick new pope, under Michelangelo's gaze
FILE PHOTO: Cardinals attend a mourning Mass for Pope Francis on the sixth day of Novendiali (nine days of mourning after the Pope's funeral) at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, May 1, 2025. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli/File Photo VATICAN CITY - If Roman Catholic cardinals have not picked a new pope by day three of next week's conclave, then things are not going to plan. Short conclaves wrapped up in a couple of days project an image of unity, and the last thing the red-robed cardinals will want is to give the impression that they are divided and the Church adrift after the death of Pope Francis last month. "Maximum three days," Salvadoran Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez confidently predicted this week ahead of the secret ballot, which will begin in the Sistine Chapel on May 7. The average length of the last 10 conclaves was 3.2 days and none went on for more than five. The last two elections -- in 2005 when Pope Benedict was picked and in 2013 when Francis emerged -- were wrapped up in just two days. The conclave takes place over as many rounds of voting as needed until one candidate gets a two-thirds majority, triggering the billowing white smoke that tells the waiting world a new papacy has begun. "Clearly the more ballots you have, the more difficult things have become. But the signs are that they want to proceed quickly," said Giovanni Vian, a professor of Christian history at Venice's Ca' Foscari University. Some of the 133 cardinals expected to enter the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday have been "papabile" - a possible pope - for years. Others will rise to the fore only during the current daily meetings, known as general congregations, where cardinals discuss the Church's future. When Francis died, most Vatican observers saw Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the Filipino prelate Luis Antonio Tagle as the obvious frontrunners, with a multitude of other possible candidates following in their wake. SERIOUS CHOICES The initial vote, on the afternoon the conclave begins, often serves as an informal sounding board in which numerous names are widely dispersed. Some of these are symbolic votes, offered as gestures of respect or friendship before the serious balloting begins the next day, when the strength of the favourites can be gauged. From the second day, two votes are held in the morning and two in the afternoon. According to conclave regulations, if no-one has been chosen after the first three days, the cardinals should take a day-long "pause of prayer" before continuing. It will soon become clear if there is a viable frontrunner, or if a compromise candidate is needed. "If we don't get a new pope quickly it will show that the push for the frontrunners petered out very quickly," said Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and Vatican commentator. "It will also reinforce the fact that there are a lot of cardinals in there and they just don't know each other very well," he added. Pope Francis appointed around 80% of the cardinal electors, many of them in far-flung dioceses as he sought to strengthen the Church in areas where it previously had limited reach. This means it will be the first conclave for a vast majority of participants and also that many of those sitting beneath Michelangelo's famed frescos will have had little opportunity to get to know one another beforehand. That could create space for so-called "grand electors", who have emerged discreetly in previous years to promote candidates at the pre-conclave meetings and then help shape opinions as the contours of the vote come into focus. SWORN TO SECRECY All cardinals would deny campaigning for an election they believe is guided by the Holy Spirit. But while no discussion is permitted during the voting sessions themselves, cardinals are free to exchange views over meals at Santa Marta, the Vatican residence where most will be staying. Successful electors can identify a compromise candidate able to pick up votes from all sides, said the historian Vian. When cardinals met for their second conclave of 1978 after the sudden death of Pope John Paul I, Vienna's Franz Koenig rallied German-speaking cardinals, and Polish-American John Krol the U.S. prelates, to support the little known Pole Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II within three days. With the focus seemingly on doctrinal disputes ahead of the coming conclave, Germany's Gerhard Mueller has been giving daily newspaper interviews rallying traditionalist ranks, while numerous voices, including Canadian Michael Czerny, have been pushing for Francis' moderate vision to prevail. Cardinals are sworn to secrecy about how votes progress, but detailed accounts often surface in the aftermath. In his 2019 book "The Election of Pope Francis", Gerard O'Connell reported how Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentine cardinal who had not been flagged as a "papabile", grabbed attention thanks to a powerful speech to his peers heading into the 2013 conclave. O'Connell said 23 cardinals received at least one vote in the first vote, with Bergoglio coming second. He edged ahead in the second vote and pulled further clear in the third, to the chagrin of supporters of the Italian favourite, Angelo Scola. In an apparent effort to derail Bergoglio, a rumour spread at lunchtime on the second day that he only had one lung and might not be physically fit to run the Church. He let it be known that only a small part of one lung had been removed and by the fifth vote that same afternoon he was pope. In 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was the clear favourite going into the Sistine Chapel and led from the first vote. He won handsomely by the fourth ballot to become Benedict XVI. Even if it is impossible to say how things will go this time around, cardinals hope for a similar, smooth outcome. "I wouldn't panic if we don't have a pope by the end of day two, but if there still isn't any white smoke by the end of the third day, then we start to get worried," said Reese. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
