Brazilian authorities Monday confirmed the detection of four cases of the JN 2.5 subvariant of the SARS-Cov-2 virus in the state of Mato Grosso. The patients were reported to be all female and hospitalized in a serious condition. One of them even died. However, the Mato Grosso State Health Department said there was no reason to panic because at this point “it is not possible to say that the cause of death was COVID-19” since ”the patient already had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).”
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Monday launched the New Industry Brazil (NIB) plan which promises to invest R$ 300 billion (US$ 60.12 bn) by 2026 in a move to boost the South American country's economy. The project laid out by the National Industrial Development Council (CNDI) aims to transform Brazil's industry into a more innovative, green, exporting, and productive sector, it was explained.
Brazil's government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ratified the South American country's unequivocal adherence to the One China Principle regarding Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a rogue province. The message was conveyed Friday in Brasilia to Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Brazilian authorities have determined that former President Jair Bolsonaro produced false certificates attesting to his vaccination against Covid-19 to enter the United States, it was reported this week.
According to Brazil's Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, there should be no pricing services provided by nature given their value to the planet and to human beings. She made those remarks this week during her appearance at one of the panels at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Agencia Brasil reported.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting in Brasilia on Thursday with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's special advisor Celso Amorim to discuss trade and cooperation between the two countries, it was reported. Wang Yi and Vieira are to meet again Friday for the signing of a series of agreements after which they will be issuing a joint statement to the press, it was also explained.
According to a report published Tuesday by Folha in Sao Paulo, a trade imbalance at private ports would reflect dramatic conditions for the local industry. A deficit in the arrival of key inputs will sooner or later result in fewer products manufactured and the vicious cycle would then mean increasingly dwindling export revenues.
Talks between Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Santiago Peña of Paraguay reached nowhere Monday in Brasilia as both leaders failed to reach an agreement over the Itaipú dam electricity fares. However, dialogue will continue.
At least eleven people died and many others needed to be evacuated this weekend after heavy rains hit Rio de Janeiro causing severe flooding and damage to numerous houses that were left under water. The Federal Government decreed a maximum alert. The risk of further flooding and landslides remains very high, it was also explained.
As Security and Justice Minister Flávio Dino is to leave his job to become a judge on Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) next month, former STF Chief Justice Ricardo Lewandowski was announced as his successor after both of them met Wednesday with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Alvorada Palace.