The climate-friendly cows bred to belch less methane

And scientists say there is no quick fix to reverse Antarctic sea ice loss.

View in Browser Sign up for Reuters newsletters Daily Briefing Scientists say there is no quick fix to reverse Antarctic sea ice loss, the climate-friendly cows bred to produce less methane, and Ukraine says Russian missiles destroyed a hotel and apartments.   Plus, canines compete in the World Dog Surfing Championships.   By Kate Turton Today's Top News Penguins on an iceberg on the northern side of the Antarctic peninsula, Antarctica January 15, 2022. REUTERS/Natalie Thomas/File Photo Sea ice in the Antarctic region has fallen to a record low this year as a result of rising global temperatures and there is no quick fix to reverse the damage done, scientists said in a new study of the impact of climate change on the continent. Exiled Belarusian opposition politicians and activists are divided over tactics. Correspondent Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska tells Reuters World News how war and Wagner have complicated the path forward for the exiles. War crimes committed by Myanmar's military, including the bombing of civilians, have become "increasingly frequent and brazen", a team of United Nations investigators said in a report. Russian missiles struck the center of Ukraine's Pokrovsk twice on Monday night killing eight people, including five civilians, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said in a statement. India has barred domestic manufacturers of military drones from using components made in China over concerns about security vulnerabilities, according to four defense and industry officials and documents reviewed by Reuters. China's foreign ministry repeated its call for the Philippines to tow away a grounded warship - a rusted-out World War Two relic used as a base - from a disputed shoal, after Manila told Beijing it would not abandon the area. West African countries and global powers are hoping that there is still a window of opportunity for mediation with Niger's coup leaders before a Thursday summit that could agree on a military intervention to restore democracy. Business & Markets Moody's cut credit ratings of several small to mid-sized US banks and said it may downgrade some of the nation's biggest lenders, warning that the sector's credit strength will likely be tested by funding risks and weaker profitability. Italy has approved a one-off 40% tax on profits banks reap from higher interest rates and it plans to use proceeds to help mortgage holders, in a move that sent banking shares plunging.  Novo Nordisk said its obesity drug Wegovy reduced the risk of a major cardiovascular event like a stroke by 20% in overweight or obese people with a history of heart disease, exceeding expectations from a key late-stage trial. Disney has created a task force to study artificial intelligence and how it can be applied across the entertainment conglomerate, even as Hollywood writers and actors battle to limit the industry's exploitation of the technology. Worldcoin, the new project from ChatGPT founder Sam Altman which aims to create a blockchain-based "identity and financial network", has no problem attracting eyeballs. More than 2.2 million people have signed up, getting their irises scanned in exchange for a digital ID and, in some countries, free crypto. Leaders of the eight Amazon rainforest countries are gathering for the first time in 14 years, with plans to reach a broad agreement on issues from fighting deforestation to financing sustainable development. Listen to indigenous chief Raoni Meuktire and our Brazil bureau chief Brad Haynes on what's at stake on the daily Reuters World News podcast. The climate-friendly cows bred to belch less methane A cow bends down to eat at the Johann Dairy farm in Fresno, California, US September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Nathan Frandino/File Photo When Canadian dairy farmer Ben Loewith's calves are born next spring, they will be among the first in the world to be bred with a specific environmental goal: burping less methane. Loewith, a third-generation farmer in Lynden, Ontario, in June started artificially inseminating 107 cows and heifers with the first-to-market bull semen with a low-methane genetic trait. "Selectively breeding for lower emissions, as long as we're not sacrificing other traits, seems like an easy win," Loewith said. Read more: Dairy cattle that emit less methane could help reduce one of the biggest sources of the potent greenhouse gas. And Finally... Derby competes at the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica, California, August 5. REUTERS/Carlos Barria The World Dog Surfing Championships, a charity event, recently took place in Pacifica, California Surf's up dog: Canines compete in the World Dog Surfing Championships Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here.   Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. Reuters Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement © 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036