• Reuters

    Brazil soy output at top farm state may drop 15% amid torrential rains

    The outlook for soy production in one of Brazil's biggest farm states is deteriorating quickly after heavy rains disrupted harvesting with about a quarter of fields left to reap from in Rio Grande do Sul. The situation has dampened farmer sentiment in Brazil's southernmost state, where soy production was at one point in the 2023/24 season expected to be a record after at least two years of drought slashed output in the region. Leandro da Silva, who manages a grains unit at farm cooperative Cotrisal in the town of Sarandi, said on Friday the impact of the downpours, which left entire cities under water and flooded grain fields in lower areas, could slash production in Rio Grande do Sul to between 19 million metric tons and 20 million metric tons.

  • The Canadian Press

    US employers scaled back hiring in April. How that could let the Fed cut interest rates

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers pulled back on their hiring in April but still added a decent 175,000 jobs in a sign that persistently high interest rates may be starting to slow the robust U.S. job market. Friday’s government report showed that last month’s hiring gain was down sharply from the blockbuster increase of 315,000 in March. And it was well below the 233,000 gain that economists had predicted for April. Yet the moderation in the pace of hiring, along with a slowdown last mon

  • PA Media: UK News

    Sunak acknowledges ‘disappointing’ local election results amid swing to Labour

    The Conservatives have lost more than 100 council seats so far, but retained the Tees Valley mayoralty.