Fire risk warning Cruelty-free coronation oil used to anoint king

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has issued a hot weather alert and warned of potential fires amid forecasts of drier conditions in Southeast Asia.

In the coming months, the RSPO said the region was at risk of fire and haze due to several factors, including the El Niño phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) associated with drier weather conditions in Southeast Asia; climate change causing temperatures to rise and making the region more susceptible to wildfires; and deforestation and land clearing which continued to increase the risk of fires.

“As a result of these factors, there is potential for an increase in hotspots and fire in Southeast Asia. This could pose a serious safety risk to oil palm estate workers, local communities and neighbouring areas, and also the possibility of trans-boundary haze,” the RSPO said in a 23 May statement.

The RSPO urged its members who had oil palm estates in Southeast Asia to take precautions, including familiarising workers with fire evacuation plans and reporting any suspicious activity or fires to the fire department immediately.

The RSPO said its records over the past two years showed a 39% increase in the number of hotspots between May and July, and this was projected to rise by as much as 50% this year. The average highest number of hotspot alerts took place between August-September and the hotspot trend showed El Niño mainly occurring between August-September.

According to ASEAN Meteorological Centre forecasts, El Niño conditions will develop from July and August, with a possibility of ENSO-neutral conditions in the second half of 2023.

A new animal cruelty-free oil was used to anoint King

Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during his coronation on 6 May at London's Westminster Abbey

Previous versions of the 'chrism' oil had included civet oil from the glands of small mammals, and ambergris from the intestines of whales, the BBC wrote on 3 March. However, to reflect modern animal-friendly sensitivities, the new oil did not include any ingredients from animals but included olive oil scented with a mix of essential oils – sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli and benzoin. The olive oil came from the Mount of Olives, a site outside Jerusalem with many biblical connections, the BBC wrote.

The coronation oil was consecrated in a religious ceremony in Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where Jesus was believed to have died and was buried.

BRAZIL: Brazil is expected to export at least 200,000 tonnes of soyabeans to the USA between the last weeks of May and the beginning of June, according to a 5 June AgriCensus report.

This bilateral trade was set to increase this year due to a bumper Brazilian crop and competitive pricing.

Shipping agency Williams, reported two vessels leaving Itacoatiara on 21 and 25 May, each carrying around 30,000 tonnes of soyabeans to the USA. Three other vessels were scheduled to set sail to the USA in the first week of June from the ports of Santarem and Barcarena with a joint cargo of around 120,000 tonnes of soyabeans. A sixth vessel carrying just under 30,000 tonnes of soyabeans to the USA from Baracena was reported leaving on 23 May.

If all cargoes and volumes were confirmed, this would bring total Brazilian soyabean exports to the USA between the last weeks of May and the beginning of June to more than 200,000 tonnes. This would be in addition to 46,153 tonnes shipped to the USA between January-April.

This would amount to the largest soyabean trade between the two countries since 2014, when Brazil exported a record 1M tonnes to the USA, the report said.

Brazil is set to harvest more than 154M tonnes of soyabeans this season.