Dead monkeys have been found in the jungle of northeast Argentina, next to Brazil and Paraguay, probably caused by yellow fever, according to local sanitary authorities. The discovery follows the confirmed yellow fever deaths of two jungle workers in the neighbouring province of Misiones.
In spite of a record year of exports, Brazil's 2008 trade surplus reached 24.7 billion US dollars which is a significant 38% descent compared to the previous year when it totalled more than 40 billion US dollars.
Brazilians start 2009 facing the task of learning new spelling rules that have just come into effect.
Brazil is willing to correct with Paraguay some practical distortions in the implementation of the Itaipú shared hydroelectric dam system, but not the Treaty, said Marco Aurelio Garcia, President Lula da Silva's main international affairs advisor.
Brazil's giant oil and gas corporation Petrobras has plans to open next year its first service stations in Japan to promote the distribution of ethanol, of which Brazil is the world's second leading producer, according to a report from O Estado de Sao Paulo. Petrobras already operates an oil refinery in Japan.
Brazilian police detained a rancher suspected of the murder of rainforest activist Dorothy Stang for allegedly acquiring titles illegally to land that the United States missionary died trying to defend.
Brazil's 2008/09 harvest is forecasted to experience a loss of 5 to 10% compared to the previous record crop of 143 million tons, according to Katia Abreu, president of the Brazilian Agriculture and Livestock Confederation CNA.
Brazil's Health Ministry announced it will purchase 1.2 billion condoms next year for the country's national program against AIDS, according to Brazilian media reports.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva has signed a law creating a sovereign wealth fund to protect the country from the global financial crisis and help Brazilian companies boost trade and expand overseas.
Brazil's ruling Workers Party, (PT) has announced its full support for cabinet chief Dilma Rousseff as candidate for the presidential elections of 2010. PT chairman Ricardo Berzoni made the official statement last Wednesday after meeting with President Lula da Silva in Government House, Planalto.