Brazil's Angra 1 approved for 20-year life extension

Angra 1 and 2 (Image: Eletronuclear)

Eletronuclear's Angra 1 nuclear power unit has been authorised by Brazil's National Nuclear Energy Commission to operate to 2044 - extending its life to 60 years.\

Angra 1 reached criticality in 1982 and entered commercial operation in 1985. The Westinghouse pressurised water reactor has a design capacity of 640 MWe. Eletrobras Eletronuclear also operates Angra 2, a 1275 MWe PWR which began commercial operation in 2001.

The request for the life extension was submitted in 2019. Since then there has been a "meticulous technical evaluation" of the request, a series of studies, four missions undertaken by International Atomic Energy Agency experts and an Integrated Implementation Plan for Safety Improvements.

As part of this plan there will be upgrades to control systems, physical protection structures and radioactive waste management protocols, the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) said. They will be implemented during maintenance and refuelling shutdowns.

CNEN’s Director of Radiation Protection and Safety Alessandro Facure said: "Each aspect of this process was analysed with technical rigour and responsibility. Our mission is to ensure that the Angra 1 operation remains safe for workers, the environment and society."

Eletronuclear said it will be investing BRL3.2 billion (USD550 million) between 2023 and 2027 and noted that similar plants in the USA had been going on to receive approval for further extensions to 80 years.

In May the company said that it also uses the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's License Renewal Application process and said that measures already taken to extend the service life include new steam generators, changing the reactor pressure vessel cover and replacing the main transformers, as well as implementing ageing/obsolescence management systems. It said it would get short-term financing from its main shareholders, ENBPar and Eletrobras, while negotiations were completed with the US Export-Import Bank for the full modernisation programme.

President of Eletronuclear Raul Lycurgo said: "The renewal of Angra 1 should be celebrated and praised as it is the culmination of the great work carried out by our technical team. Everyone has dedicated themselves to the maximum over the last five years and have proven that Angra 1 continues to be completely safe and able to deliver steady, clean energy for the development of Brazil."

Angra 1 generated 4.78 million MWh in 2023 and has had a load factor of 88.24% for the past five years. It delivers enough energy to supply a city of two million people.

CNEN said that an important part of the authorisation process had been the Local Emergency Plan and the Fukushima Response Plan, implemented after 2011 - "CNEN teams will continue to monitor the implementation of these measures, including technical improvements and emergency response protocols, which are fundamental to the safety and protection of the plant and surrounding areas".The decision was a "milestone" not just in terms of energy production but also in showing the maturity of the regulatory system in Brazil. It said Eletronuclear will also be required to carry out a Periodic Safety Reassessment in 2033 "where compliance with the highest international safety standards will be verified". Brazil's Angra 1 approved for 20-year life extension

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Inauguration of World’s Largest 2nd Gen. Ethanol Plant Will Cut Emissions by 30% with Sugar Cane

credit – Raízen, released to the press

In late May, Brazilian President Luis Ignacio da Silva visited São Paulo to inaugurate the world’s largest manufacturing plant for second-generation ethanol.

The new Bonfim Bioenergy Park will produce 82 million liters of ethanol per year utilizing a new method that produces 30% fewer emissions.

Located in the Brazilian state of Guariba, the nation’s largest center for the cultivation of sugarcane, the second-generation ethanol, also known as ‘bioethanol’ is made from the waste products of sugar production, known in the industry as bagasse.

Raízen, the company behind the Bonfirm plant, says that making ethanol from this waste creates 30% fewer emissions than if previous manufacturing methods were used.

New technologies allow for the extraction of residual sucrose from these already-crushed canes. A hydrolysis process uses enzymes to separate the individual cellulose fibers so they can be fermented more easily.

Raízen has another 9 second-gen plants under construction, and the company is aiming to produce 1.6 billion liters of biofuel per year in the future.

The largest single use of ethanol is as an engine fuel and fuel additive. Brazil in particular relies heavily upon the use of ethanol as an engine fuel being the world’s leading producer of ethanol. 90% of all new gasoline-powered cars sold in Brazil can also run on hydrous ethanol.

Along with the 30% reduction in emissions from manufacturing bioethanol compared to manufacturing conventional ethanol blends, the reduction in emissions from its use as a fuel is as high as 50 and 60%, according to a study from the Argonne National Laboratory.

“I realize that our engineering, that our researchers have managed to do what no country in the world that thinks it is better than us has done: we are able to transform that bagasse into something that produces ethanol of much better quality than the normal ethanol that we produced before, which is second-generation ethanol,” said President da Silva at the inauguration. Inauguration of World’s Largest 2nd Gen. Ethanol Plant Will Cut Emissions by 30% with Sugar Cane

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Neymar says 2026 World Cup will be his last

BRAZIL - Neymar said that the 2026 World Cup will be his last adding he was confident that Brazil would qualify for the finals in North America.

"I know this will be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it," the 32-year-old attacker, who has not played for Brazil in more than a year, told CNN.

He also told the American news network in the interview published on Tuesday that he would not rule out reuniting with former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at U.S. club Inter Miami.

"Obviously, playing again with Messi and Suarez would be incredible," Neymar said at an award ceremony in Dubai.

Brazil have struggled in South American World Cup qualifying.

After 12 of the 18 rounds, they are fifth in the 10-nation group. But the top six are guaranteed places in the World Cup and Brazil are five points ahead of Bolivia in seventh.

"I have a lot of faith in the team, in the players who are emerging, who are young," he said. "We're not in a position where we would like to be."

"I think together we can achieve something very big. We have a year, a year-and-a-half to work, to do the right things to reach the World Cup," Neymar said.

Neymar started Brazil's first four qualifying games but went off injured at half time as they lost to Uruguay in October 2023. After knee surgery he was out for a year.

He returned for his Saudi club Al Hilal with two brief appearances in October and November but injured a hamstring and has not played since. He said he is targeting the World Cup.

"I want to be there, I'm going to try to do my best, to work very hard so that I can be with the Brazilian team."

He will be 34 by the time the competition in the USA, Canada and Mexico, kicks off.

He could play in the United States before then. Al Hilal will appear in the expanded Club World Cup in the United States in June where Miami, with Messi and Suarez, will also be competing.

"They are my friends." said Neymar, who also played with Messi at Paris Saint-Germain. "We still speak to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio."

"I'm happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows? Football is full of surprises."When the news came out that I was leaving Paris Saint-Germain, the transfer window was closed in the United States, so I didn't have this option." Neymar says 2026 World Cup will be his last

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Freedom of speech under massive attack: Musk on X ban in Brazil

San Francisco,  (IANS): Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Saturday said that freedom of speech is under massive attack around the world, after Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered to block his social media platform X nationwide.

The order came after the company refused to appoint a legal representative in the country.

Musk hit back, saying they are shutting down the "top source of truth" in Brazil.

“The oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries,” said the billionaire.

“Just a reminder that you can always access this platform via X.com, even on your phone. No app is needed. Now would also be a good time to download a VPN in case you get blocked,” the X owner told his millions of followers.

Musk-owned X has been in conflict with de Moraes for months over the platform's refusal to comply with court orders to remove profiles that promote coup-related content or undermine democracy, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court has also ordered X to pay fines amounting to 18 million reais (about $3.2 million) for non-compliance.

De Moraes said that X has facilitated "the actions of extremist groups and digital militias, enabling the spread of Nazi, racist, fascist, hateful, and anti-democratic speech", particularly ahead of the upcoming elections.

The Brazilian judge also instructed the country's National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to block access to X within 24 hours. Apple and Google have been given five days to remove the X app from their online stores.

Musk said: “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes”. Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/freedom-of-speech-under-massive-attack-musk-on-x-ban-in-brazil

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Brazil and Chile sign landmark agreement to boost personal care, fragrance and cosmetics trade

Brazil and Chile conclude negotiations on the Brazil-Chile Trade Facilitating Initiative for the Cosmetic Products Sector. The agreement aims to simplify regulations, reduce trade barriers and promote economic growth in the personal hygiene, perfumery and cosmetics industries for both countries.

Key objectives of the agreement include eliminating the requirement for a Free Sale Certificate, reducing prior health requirements, harmonizing labeling and good manufacturing practices and strengthening market surveillance.

By converging regulatory frameworks, the two nations seek to create a more seamless trading environment without compromising product safety and quality.

Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of market surveillance to ensure product safety and consumer protection.

This landmark agreement is expected to yield numerous benefits, including reduced costs for businesses, increased legal certainty, enhanced competitiveness and a smaller environmental footprint.

Both countries anticipate that this agreement will increase legal certainty, improve competitiveness, reduce environmental impact and promote cooperation between regulatory agencies.The agreement is pegged as a model for future trade negotiations in other sectors and between other countries, particularly within Latin America. Brazil and Chile sign landmark agreement to boost personal care, fragrance and cosmetics trade

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Inauguration of World’s Largest 2nd Gen. Ethanol Plant Will Cut Emissions by 30% with Sugar Cane

credit – Raízen, released to the press

In late May, Brazilian President Luis Ignacio da Silva visited São Paulo to inaugurate the world’s largest manufacturing plant for second-generation ethanol.

The new Bonfim Bioenergy Park will produce 82 million liters of ethanol per year utilizing a new method that produces 30% fewer emissions.

Located in the Brazilian state of Guariba, the nation’s largest center for the cultivation of sugarcane, the second-generation ethanol, also known as ‘bioethanol’ is made from the waste products of sugar production, known in the industry as bagasse.

Raízen, the company behind the Bonfirm plant, says that making ethanol from this waste creates 30% fewer emissions than if previous manufacturing methods were used.

New technologies allow for the extraction of residual sucrose from these already-crushed canes. A hydrolysis process uses enzymes to separate the individual cellulose fibers so they can be fermented more easily.

Raízen has another 9 second-gen plants under construction, and the company is aiming to produce 1.6 billion liters of biofuel per year in the future.

The largest single use of ethanol is as an engine fuel and fuel additive. Brazil in particular relies heavily upon the use of ethanol as an engine fuel being the world’s leading producer of ethanol. 90% of all new gasoline-powered cars sold in Brazil can also run on hydrous ethanol.

Along with the 30% reduction in emissions from manufacturing bioethanol compared to manufacturing conventional ethanol blends, the reduction in emissions from its use as a fuel is as high as 50 and 60%, according to a study from the Argonne National Laboratory.

“I realize that our engineering, that our researchers have managed to do what no country in the world that thinks it is better than us has done: we are able to transform that bagasse into something that produces ethanol of much better quality than the normal ethanol that we produced before, which is second-generation ethanol,” said President da Silva at the inauguration. Inauguration of World’s Largest 2nd Gen. Ethanol Plant Will Cut Emissions by 30% with Sugar Cane

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WTO conference ends in division and stalemate – does the global trade body have a viable future?

Jane Kelsey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

The 13th World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi has failed to resolve any issues of significance, raising the inescapable question of whether the global trade body has a future.

The three-day meeting was due to end on February 29. But late into a fourth extra day, the 164 members were struggling to even agree on a declaration, let alone the big issues of agriculture, fisheries and border taxes on electronic commerce.

The closing ceremony was sombre, and the ministerial declaration bland, stripped of the substantive content previously proposed. Outstanding issues were kicked back to the WTO base in Geneva for further discussions, or for the next ministerial conference in 2026.

Briefing journalists in the closing hours, an EU spokesperson noted how hard it would be to pick up the pieces in Geneva after they failed to create momentum at the ministerial conference. She predicted:

[Trade] will be more and more characterised by power relations than the rule of law, and that will be a problem notably for smaller countries and for developing countries.

Restricted access

That imbalance is already evident, with power politics characterising the conference from the start.

There were accusations of unprecedented restrictions on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) registered to participate in the conference. These bodies are crucial to bringing the WTO’s impacts on farmers, fishers, workers and other communities into the negotiation arena.

A number of NGOs have submitted formal complaints over their treatment by conference host the United Arab Emirates. They say they were isolated from delegations, banned from distributing papers, and people were arbitrarily detained for handing out press releases.

Critical negotiations were conducted through controversial “green rooms”. These were where the handpicked “double quad” members – the US, UK, European Union, Canada, China, India, South Africa and Brazil – tried to broker outcomes to present to the rest for “transparency”.

Influence of power politics

These powerful countries largely determined the outcomes (or lack of them). The US, historically the agenda-setter at WTO ministerial conferences, appeared largely disinterested in the proceedings, with trade representative Katherine Tai leaving early.

The final declaration says nothing about restoring a two-tier dispute body, which has been paralysed since 2019 by the refusal of successive US Republican and Democratic administrations to appoint new judges to the WTO’s appellate body.

The EU failed to secure progress on improvements to the appeal process. Likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has already announced he would impose massive WTO-illegal tariffs on China if elected.

China, Japan, the US and EU – all big subsidisers of distant water fishing fleets – blocked an outcome aiming to protect global fish stocks, an issue already deferred from the last ministerial meeting.

The six Pacific Island WTO members lobbied tirelessly for a freeze and eventual reduction in subsidies. But the text was diluted to the point that no deal was better than a bad deal.

The EU, UK, Switzerland and other pharmaceutical producers had already blocked consensus on lifting patents for COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics, sought by 65 developing countries. A deal brokered in 2021 on COVID vaccines is so complex no country has used it.

Domestic and global agendas

India’s equally uncompromising positions also reflected domestic priorities. The 2013 Bali ministerial conference promised developing countries a permanent solution to prevent legal challenges to India’s subsidised stockpiling of food for anti-hunger programmes.

A permanent solution was a red line for India, which faces an election next month and mass protests from farmers concerned at losing subsidies.

Agricultural exporters, including New Zealand, tabled counter-demands to broaden the agriculture negotiations. The public stockpiling issue remains a stalemate, without any real prospect of a breakthrough.

India and South Africa formally objected to the adoption of an unmandated plurilateral agreement on investment facilitation.

The concerns were less with the agreement itself and more with the precedent it would create for sub-groups of members to bypass the WTO’s rule book. This would allow powerful states to advance their favoured issues while developing country priorities languish.

Crisis and transformation

The face-saver for the conference was the temporary extension of a highly contested moratorium on the right to levy customs duties at the border on transmissions of digitised content.

Securing that extension (or preferably a permanent ban on e-commerce customs duties) on behalf of Big Tech was the main US goal for the conference. Developing countries opposed its renewal, so they could impose tariffs both for revenue and to support their own digital industrialisation.

The moratorium will now expire in March 2026, so the battle will resume at the next ministerial conference scheduled to be held in Cameroon that year.

But there is every likelihood the current paralysis at the WTO will continue, and the power politics will intensify. As the previously quoted EU spokesperson also mused:

Perhaps the WTO needed a good crisis, and perhaps this will lead to a realisation that we cannot continue like this.

Ideally, that would result in a fundamentally different international institution – one that provides real solutions to the 21st century challenges on which the WTO is unable to deliver.

Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The BRICS are neither the anti-West nor a bloc

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Washington, D.C. Photo: Twitter @nirmalasitharaman retweet of April 12, 2023 from Indian Ministry of Finance

The U.S. and its Western allies should take the pomp and posturing at this week’s BRICS summit in Johannesburg with a shaker’s worth of salt.

Sure, that “bloc” – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – represents more than 40% of the world’s population, and other countries in the Global South may yet join. The BRICS also like to present themselves as a sort of non- or anti-West geopolitical alternative to U.S. hegemony. But they’re not, and never will be.

For starters, it’s always a stretch when you launch something – a policy, institution, group or club – just because somebody came up with a great acronym. And that’s exactly how BRIC (later BRICS) began. Jim O’Neill coined the term in 2001 when he was an economist at Goldman Sachs and needed a snappy moniker for several markets that looked promising for investors but otherwise had nothing obvious in common.

The BRICS adopted the label because it fit two trends: the acronym vogue but also the fad for blocs. The latter, I think, came out of the progression from a bipolar world during the Cold War to a unipolar moment of U.S. hegemony and the presumptive return to multipolarity since then. In this more complicated world, countries assume they should belong to some sort of coalition, maybe several.

Today there’s a bewildering array of blocs to choose from. Just take Africa. The continent has (I won’t spell out the abbreviations) an AMU, Comesa, CEN SAD, EAC, Eccas, Ecowas and a few more, not to mention the African Union. That word “union,” in fact, is especially popular for blocs because it stipulates unity where there usually is none.

That’s true even for the European Union, which comes closest to being a true bloc, in the sense of confederation. In trade and regulation, the E.U. is a world power. In everything else, though, it’s a chaos club of nations that can’t agree on much, and that certainly couldn’t stand up to the world’s major powers in a pinch.

The rest of the world’s blocs have much less to offer. Latin America, for example, makes a sporting effort, with a SICA, Caricom, Mercosur and what not. And whenever one fizzles out, such as USAN (the Union of South American Nations), another takes its place, currently Prosur, the Forum for the Progress of South America. Don’t hold your breath.

Among all these aspiring confederates, the BRICS arguably have the least in common, aside from a dislike of U.S. clout in global finance, economics and geopolitics. They consist of three democracies in different stages of backsliding and two increasingly repressive autocracies. One pair, China and India, is as likely to fight each other as to cooperate. That’s quite different from, say, the G-7 (Group of Seven), a club of rich liberal democracies with a shared sense of custodianship for the world economy.

One thing all blocs, unions and forums excel at is generating paperwork. The E.U. clinches the title in this category, with either ten or eleven presidencies, depending on the count. But even lesser blocs boast their secretariats, rotating chairs and associated other bureaucracies. The BRICS, for example, launched the New Development Bank, a lender meant to duplicate the World Bank (again, because the latter is in Washington).

When blocs reach for loftier goals, though, they involuntarily become fodder for satirists. The BRICS have floated the idea of a joint currency – the better to topple the hated U.S. dollar from its global perch. But only one bloc, the E.U., has ever achieved monetary union, and even that at the cost of recurring near-death experiences. The notion that the BRICS would pool their money, central banks, fiscal and monetary policy is, as O’Neill the nomenclator puts it, “ridiculous.”

In reality, each of the five BRICS is in it for different reasons. Take China. It wants to displace the U.S. as a hegemon and keeps seeding blocs it thinks it can dominate for that purpose. Those include the Belt and Road Initiative, a transcontinental infrastructure program, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a Eurasian grouping, and the tellingly named 16+1 (formerly 17+1), a format in which China allegedly cooperates with Central and Eastern European countries. As the Europeans in that club have figured out, though, the +1 really just wanted to boss around the 16.

Given the aims of the C in BRICS, neither the B, R, I or S nor other countries that have expressed an interest in joining, such as Indonesia, can really be enthusiastic about becoming Beijing’s vassals just to teach Washington a lesson. That’s one reason the forum will struggle to project soft power, much less hard.

Another reason is the company it’s forced to keep. It never helps a club when one member can’t show up because the International Criminal Court has a warrant out for their arrest. In this case, that’s Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing war crimes charges for allegedly deporting children from occupied areas of Ukraine, who’ll participate via video link to avoid being handcuffed on arrival in Johannesburg.

How the hosts curate that delicate situation, and whether everyone in the room keeps a straight face, including Putin’s foreign minister, will be worth watching. But a new world order will be nowhere to be seen.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering U.S. diplomacy, national security and geopolitics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of “Hannibal and Me.” The BRICS are neither the anti-West nor a bloc

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Minister Pravin Gordhan Relaunches South African Airways, 26 Oct

Government of South Africa (Pretoria) The Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr Pravin Gordhan, will officially relaunch South African Airways (SAA) this Thursday, 26 October 2023, at an event that will also announce the restart of SAA's direct flights to Brazil.

The event, which will be co-hosted by DPE and SAA, will also mark two years since the return of SAA to the skies, as well as the official announcement of SAA's first intercontinental route following its successful business rescue.

The relaunch of the route to São Paulo, Brazil, underscores the progress that SAA has made since the airline narrowly averted liquidation.

"The upcoming event marks a very significant step in the resurgence of South African Airways. We look forward to the official relaunch of SAA, along with the introduction of its first intercontinental flight to São Paulo, Brazil," Minister Gordhan said.

SAA's inaugural flights to São Paulo will be departing from Cape Town on 31 October 2023, and from Johannesburg on 6 November 2023.

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, 26 October 2023
• Venue: The Royal Yacht Club, Table Bay Harbour, Cape Town
• Time: 18h00 for 18h30
• Dress Code: Business Casual with a Brazilian FlairAmongst the honored guests will also be Brazil's Vice Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Ana Carla Machado Lopes. Minister Pravin Gordhan Relaunches South African Airways, 26 Oct:

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Brazil's president proposes common currency for BRICS nations

• The President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula, proposed the idea of establishing a common currency among the BRICS nations.
• BRICS is a grouping of the economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The predecessor of this group, before South Africa joined the other four in 2010 was known as BRIC.
• President Lula’s proposal aims to mitigate the susceptibility of the economies of most countries to the fluctuations in the value of the US dollar in trade and investment transactions.
• Lula put forth the suggestion on 23 August 2023 during a BRICS summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• However several experts and officials have commented that there are formidable challenges associated with this initiative. Chief among them, they have said, are the significant economic, political, and geographical differences among Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• Lula holds the view that nations not using the dollar should not be compelled to engage in trade using that currency. He expressed support for the implementation of a shared currency within the Mercosur bloc, which comprises South American countries.
• Addressing the opening session of the summit, he stated that a BRICS currency would ‘expand our payment choices and diminish our exposure to vulnerabilities.’
• South African officials had previously stated that the discussion of a BRICS currency was not included in the summit's agenda.
• Back in July, India's foreign minister, S. Jaishankar, had asserted that the concept of a BRICS currency did not exist, and the agenda would include discussions on enhancing trade in the respective national currencies.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin, who participated in the gathering via video link, said the discussions would revolve around transitioning trade between member nations from the dollar to their respective national currencies. On the other hand, China has yet to provide a statement regarding this idea.
• President Xi Jinping, during his address at the summit, emphasized the importance of advancing ‘the reform of the international financial and monetary system.’
• During an interview with a radio station in July this year, Lesetja Kganyago, governor of the South African central bank had described the creation of a BRICS currency as a ‘political endeavor’. Kganyago has emphasized the need to establish of a banking union, a fiscal union, and the attainment of macroeconomic convergence before a common BRICS currency can be created.
• 
• A mechanism for enforcing compliance among countries is required, especially for those that deviate from the established framework. Also, the creation of a common central bank raises the question of its geographical location. Not an easy decision to reach.
• Trade imbalances pose a significant challenge, as highlighted by Herbert Poenisch, a senior fellow at Zhejiang University, in a blog post for the think-tank OMFIF.
• ‘All BRICS member nations primarily engage in trade with China, with minimal trade occurring among themselves.’
• BRICS leaders have expressed their desire to increase the use of their respective national currencies instead of relying heavily on the dollar. This shift has gained prominence, particularly after the substantial strengthening of the dollar last year due to the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes and Russia's involvement in Ukraine, resulting in increased costs for dollar-denominated debt and imports.
• The sanctions imposed on Russia, leading to its exclusion from the global financial system last year, also heightened speculation that non-Western allies might transition away from the dollar.
• ‘In Tuesday's summit,’ Putin emphasized, ‘the relentless process of reducing our economic dependence on the dollar is gaining traction.’
• According to data from the International Monetary Fund, the dollar’s share of official foreign exchange reserves dropped to a 20-year low of 58% in the last quarter of 2022, and it fell to 47% when accounting for fluctuations in exchange rates.
• Nonetheless, the dollar continues to hold a dominant position in global trade, being involved in one side of nearly 90% of worldwide foreign exchange transactions, as reported by data from the Bank for International Settlements.De-dollarization would necessitate a widespread shift, with numerous exporters, importers, borrowers, lenders, and currency traders worldwide making independent decisions to opt for alternative currencies. Brazil's president proposes common currency for BRICS nations

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PSLV-C51 successfully launches Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites

• Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) today successfully launched Amazonia-1, a Brazilian satellite for earth observation, and 18 other small satellites, in what is termed as the state-run space agency’s first dedicated commercial mission.
• Isro’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV C-51 lifted off from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, as planned, at 10:24 hours (IST). After a flight of about 17 minutes 23 seconds, the vehicle injected Amazonia-1 into its intended orbit and in the succeeding 1 hour 38 minutes, all the 18 co-passenger satellites successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence.
• Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite of Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE). This satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory.
• The 18 co-passenger satellites onboard PSLV-C51 included four from IN-SPACe and fourteen from for New Space India Limited (NSIL), both companies under the Department of Space. Out of the four satellites from IN-SPACe, three were UNITYsats designed and built as a joint development by Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, Sriperumbudur (JITsat), G H Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur (GHRCEsat) and Sri Shakti Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore (Sri Shakthi Sat) and one Satish Dhawan Sat (SDSAT) from Space Kidz India. The fourteen satellites from NSIL carried were the commercial satellites from India (1) and USA (13).
• PSLV-C51 is the 53rd flight of PSLV and third flight of PSLV in 'DL' configuration (with 2 strap-on motors). This was the 78th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.With today’s launch, the total number of customer satellites from foreign countries placed in orbit by PSLV adds up to 342 satellites from 34 countries. Source: https://www.domain-b.com

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Brazil to begin vaccination campaign on Wednesday

Brazil will begin mass vaccination against COVID-19 starting Wednesday, the country’s health ministry announced on Sunday.

The Brazilian government will begin to distribute vaccines throughout the country starting early Monday morning, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello told a press conference.

The decision came after Brazil’s Health Regulatory Agency unanimously approved on Sunday the emergency use of the CoronaVac vaccine, from the Chinese laboratory Sinovac, as well as the AstraZeneca-University of Oxford vaccine.

The vaccines will be delivered by the Brazilian Air Force to strategic points in each state, and on Wednesday, vaccination will begin throughout the country.

The first vaccine to be distributed in Brazil was CoronaVac, developed by Sinovac in conjunction with the Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo, and the first doses were given to health professionals in Sao Paulo moments after the approval.

The Brazilian government has procured 6 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine to be distributed throughout the country.

Despite the vaccine program, the minister urged the population not to relax in preventive measures.Brazil has so far registered almost 8.5 million COVID-19 cases, and nearly 210,000 deaths, Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

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Covid vaccine faces rejection even before it reaches market

Amid the frenzied pursuit of vaccine to fight the coronavirus pandemic, experts have cautioned governments and pharma companies against testing half-baked vaccines on people, which, they say would only cause more harm than good.
And, as US pharma giant Pfizer comes out with an “over 90 per cent effective” Covid-19 vaccine, former vice president of Pfizer, Dr Michael Yeadon, has asserted that the vaccine may not be required at all. 
“There is absolutely no need for vaccines to extinguish the pandemic. I've never heard such nonsense talked about vaccines,” according to a report in lifesitenews.com.
"You do not vaccinate people who aren't at risk from the disease. You also don't set about planning to vaccinate millions of fit and healthy people with a vaccine that hasn't been extensively tested on human subjects," the report quoted Yeadon as saying.
His comments come at the end of a comprehensive criticism of the Scientific Advisor Group for Emergencies (SAGE), a government agency of the UK tasked with advising the government in emergencies.
SAGE has an important role in determining public lockdown policies in the UK, including those recently implemented, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to lifesitenews.com.
Yeadon says SAGE has erred its presuppositions which cause the overall conclusions to go radically awry leading to the "torturing the population for the last seven months or so."
SAGE, however, claims that everyone was susceptible. 
“I think this is literally unbelievable. They have ignored all precedent in the field of immunological memory against respiratory viruses," he said.
"They have either not seen or disregarded excellent quality work from numerous, world-leading clinical immunologists which show that around 30 per cent of the population had prior immunity," Yeadon added.
Last Friday, Pfizer had announced it is seeking emergency approval from US regulators for its Covid-19 vaccine, which has shown 95 per cent efficacy in a totality of two data sets released in the last 10 days.
Pfizer is not alone, there are many others in the pipeline ready with fast-tracked vaccines, including AstaZeneca, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Novavax, and Sanofi besides Indian, Chinese and Russian companies.
India in fact, has licensed seven pharma majors, including Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute, Zydus Cadila, Panacea Biotec, Indian Immunologicals, Mynvax and Biological E to work on the coronavirus vaccine.
But, with clinical trials going awry in the rush to get results, an effective and dependable vaccine may take more time to become readily available.
And, as things stand, by the time effective vaccines become widely available, there will not be any need to prevent the spread of Corona virus as might already have subsided across the world. 
As Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro pointed out, Brazilians will not be required to be vaccinated when a coronavirus vaccine becomes widely available.
He also said, personally, he will not take a coronavirus vaccine, while expressing skepticism toward coronavirus vaccination programme. “I’m telling you, I’m not going to take it. It’s my right,” he said in statements posted live over social media platforms.
In October, he joked on Twitter that vaccination would be required only for his dog.
Brazil has the second highest number of corona virus deaths in the world, and the third highest number of corona virus cases.
India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, has taken on itself the job of producing for the world. According to reports, India’s Dr Reddy’s Labs will be manufacturing 100 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine.
Similarly, Serum Institute of India (SII) will be manufacturing Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, while Cadila Healthcare has initiated phase 2 clinical trial of its indigenously developed vaccine, ZyCoV-D.
Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm on Tuesday applied to the country's health regulators to launch its Covid-19 vaccines for public use, based on multiple news reports.
However, close to a million people have already been injected with experimental shots since the Chinese government authorised the vaccines for emergency use in July.
Sinopharm was earlier reported to have been testing the safety and efficacy of its two inactivated coronavirus vaccines. However, it is yet to release any public data regarding the vaccines' efficacy in their phase-three trials.
Meanwhile, a Bloomberg report hinted at the possibility of a black market emerging for vaccines that are yet to prove efficacy in clinical trials or those that have not made it to the market.
The report cited sources as saying that some people are seeking out the vaccine, which is meant for frontline workers and that a shot of the double-dose Sinopharm vaccine, that is yet to prove itself, is anywhere over $90.
"You just transfer him the money via Alipay, but he won't tell you the details because apparently it's black market," the report cited one anonymous source as saying.
Sinopharm's application seeking permission to officially launch its vaccines is still pending approval.AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford had announced that their two-dose vaccine could be up to 90 per cent effective, but an error in the trial has cast doubt on its efficacy rate. AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot on Thursday said the company will likely retest its Covid-19 vaccine.

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Brazil president`s chief of staff tests COVID-19 positive

Brazil has the second-worst coronavirus outbreak in the world after the United States. The South American country has registered more than 2.75 million cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 94,702. 

Now, Army General Walter Souza Braga Netto, the chief of staff of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said on Monday. 

Braga Netto is the seventh Brazilian minister to have contracted the disease. However, he is doing well and has no symptoms, the office said in a statement. 

He will remain in isolation until a new examination and medical evaluation is carried out and will continue to work remotely.

Last week, Bolsonaro’s wife and one of his ministers tested positive for COVID-19. Bolsonaro also contracted the disease but his latest test showed he was no longer infected.

On Monday, Bolsonaro told reporters he was fine and was already cured after the president last week reported that he had “mold” in his lungs and was taking antibiotics. He did not give more details about his medical condition. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

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Brazil's corona death toll crosses 78,000

Sao Paulo: Brazil has registered 921 new deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide count to 78,772, the country's Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, 28,532 newly confirmed cases were reported, taking its total to 2,074,860 nationwide, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying on Saturday.

The southeast state of Sao Paulo, the country's most populous state, is the worst-hit, with 412,027 cases and 19,647 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro with 134,449 cases and 11,757 deaths.

Brazil is one of countries hardest hit by the pandemic, second only to the United States, both in terms of death toll and caseload.Source: https://english.madhyamam.com

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Scientists in Brazil discover mysterious virus with unknown genealogy

• Scientists in Brazil have identified a new virus strain that has never before been documented and whose genes are unfamiliar to the scientific world. The mysterious virus with no known genes has been found in Lake Pampulha, an artificial lake in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte.
• Researchers have named the enigmatic virus Yaravirus, after Yara – or Iara, a water-queen figure in Brazilian mythology. 
• Yaravirus (Yaravirus brasiliensis) constitutes "a new lineage of amoebal virus with a puzzling origin and phylogeny," the research team stated in a new pre-print paper about the discovery.
• Two of the senior members of that team – virologists Bernard La Scola from Aix-Marseille University in France, and Jônatas S Abrahão from Brazil's Federal University of Minas Gerais – ought to know what they're talking about.
• Two years ago, the pair helped to discover another water-dwelling viral novelty: Tupanvirus, a giant virus found in extreme aquatic habitats.
• Giant viruses, as opposed to the regular variety, are so-called because of their huge capsids (protein shells that encapsulate virions - virus particles).
• These much larger viral forms also possess more complex genomes, giving them the ability to synthesise proteins, and therefore perform things like DNA repair, plus DNA replication, transcription, and translation.
• Prior to their discovery, it was thought that viruses couldn't do things like that, being regarded as relatively inert, non-living entities, only capable of infecting their hosts.
• Recent research has found viruses as much more complex than was once believed, and in recent years, scientists have uncovered other kinds of viral forms that find new and unusual ways of spreading and infecting.
• Yaravirus if composed of small 80 nm-sized particles, but their genes are unique.
• "Most of the known viruses of amoeba have been seen to share many features that eventually prompted authors to classify them into common evolutionary groups," the authors write.
• "Contrary to what is observed in other isolated viruses of amoeba, Yaravirus is not represented by a large/giant particle and a complex genome, but at the same time carries an important number of previously undescribed genes."
• In their investigations, the researchers found over 90 percent of Yaravirus genes had never been described before, constituting what are known as orphan genes (aka ORFans).
• Only six genes found bore a distant resemblance to known viral genes documented in public scientific databases, and a search through over 8,500 publicly available metagenomes offered no clues as to what Yaravirus might be closely related to.
• "Using standard protocols, our very first genetic analysis was unable to find any recognisable sequences of capsid or other classical viral genes in Yaravirus," the researchers explain.
• "Following the current metagenomic protocols for viral detection, Yaravirus would not even be recognised as a viral agent."
• As for what Yaravirus actually is then, the scientists can only speculate for now, but suggest it could be the first isolated case of an unknown group of amoebal virus, or potentially a distant kind of giant virus that may somehow have evolved into a reduced form.
• Either way, it's clear we still have an awful lot to learn, the researchers say.
• "The amount of unknown proteins composing the Yaravirus particles reflects the variability existing in the viral world and how much potential of new viral genomes are still to be discovered," the authors conclude.
• The findings are reported in bioRxiv.Source: https://www.domain-b.com

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Scientists in Brazil discover mysterious virus with unknown genealogy

• Scientists in Brazil have identified a new virus strain that has never before been documented and whose genes are unfamiliar to the scientific world. The mysterious virus with no known genes has been found in Lake Pampulha, an artificial lake in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte.
• Researchers have named the enigmatic virus Yaravirus, after Yara – or Iara, a water-queen figure in Brazilian mythology. 
• Yaravirus (Yaravirus brasiliensis) constitutes "a new lineage of amoebal virus with a puzzling origin and phylogeny," the research team stated in a new pre-print paper about the discovery.
• Two of the senior members of that team – virologists Bernard La Scola from Aix-Marseille University in France, and Jônatas S Abrahão from Brazil's Federal University of Minas Gerais – ought to know what they're talking about.
• Two years ago, the pair helped to discover another water-dwelling viral novelty: Tupanvirus, a giant virus found in extreme aquatic habitats.
• Giant viruses, as opposed to the regular variety, are so-called because of their huge capsids (protein shells that encapsulate virions - virus particles).
• These much larger viral forms also possess more complex genomes, giving them the ability to synthesise proteins, and therefore perform things like DNA repair, plus DNA replication, transcription, and translation.
• Prior to their discovery, it was thought that viruses couldn't do things like that, being regarded as relatively inert, non-living entities, only capable of infecting their hosts.
• Recent research has found viruses as much more complex than was once believed, and in recent years, scientists have uncovered other kinds of viral forms that find new and unusual ways of spreading and infecting.
• Yaravirus if composed of small 80 nm-sized particles, but their genes are unique.
• "Most of the known viruses of amoeba have been seen to share many features that eventually prompted authors to classify them into common evolutionary groups," the authors write.
• "Contrary to what is observed in other isolated viruses of amoeba, Yaravirus is not represented by a large/giant particle and a complex genome, but at the same time carries an important number of previously undescribed genes."
• In their investigations, the researchers found over 90 percent of Yaravirus genes had never been described before, constituting what are known as orphan genes (aka ORFans).
• Only six genes found bore a distant resemblance to known viral genes documented in public scientific databases, and a search through over 8,500 publicly available metagenomes offered no clues as to what Yaravirus might be closely related to.
• "Using standard protocols, our very first genetic analysis was unable to find any recognisable sequences of capsid or other classical viral genes in Yaravirus," the researchers explain.
• "Following the current metagenomic protocols for viral detection, Yaravirus would not even be recognised as a viral agent."
• As for what Yaravirus actually is then, the scientists can only speculate for now, but suggest it could be the first isolated case of an unknown group of amoebal virus, or potentially a distant kind of giant virus that may somehow have evolved into a reduced form.
• Either way, it's clear we still have an awful lot to learn, the researchers say.
• "The amount of unknown proteins composing the Yaravirus particles reflects the variability existing in the viral world and how much potential of new viral genomes are still to be discovered," the authors conclude. The findings are reported in bioRxiv. Source: https://www.domain-b.com

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30th IAF Convention focuses on challenges of the fashion system

The 30th IAF World Fashion Convention that ended on a high note last week welcomed over 300 delegates from 20 countries in Medellin, Colombia, first time in South America. The discussions at the event focused on ‘Understanding the challenges of the fashion system’. Day one takes up the denim cause: Each of the seven speakers who spoke on the first day, moderated by Eduardo Braun, gave his or her vision on the future of the industry. While Emiliano Duch, Lead Specialist, Trade & Competitiveness from the World Bank advised governments to modernize their support of the fashion industry, from investing in big industrial parks, which only fosters the lowest paying jobs, to the support of local brands and retail. Claudio Chiaromonte, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for The Walt Disney Company, Latin America showed the audience how big companies have perfected the art of delivering to consumers anytime, anyplace, through any format, by any payment. Horacio Broggi, Director of Desigual Latin showed some secrets of the success of the phenomenal growth of Desigual, from eight to 800 million euros (Rs 618 to Rs 6,180 crores) in 10-years-time. The highlight of the day was Adriano Goldschmied, also called the godfather of jeans, who took the delegates on a journey of the development of the premium jeans segment by way of his own personal pictures. The pictures showed how the right people came together at the right time and created products that were inspired by their own lifestyles. Goldschmied went from the past to the future where technical innovation will bring jeans to a new level of comfort. Mariette Hoitink, chairwoman of Amsterdam based House of Denim continued with the jeans case. She showed the delegates how city, big brands, local entrepreneurs and foreign investors work together to create a denim hub in Amsterdam. But it was clear that this example, combining denim specific schooling, research and networking can be replicated in other places as well. Fernando Pimentel, the Director of the Brazilian Apparel Association Abit stressed the importance of intra Latin American trade. And finally, Ed Gribbin President of Alvanon plead for a radical change in the industry which is facing below 40 per cent full price sell through on the retail end. Investments in 3D digital sampling, PLM are necessary as is a shift in focus to a more engineering oriented design of clothing, focusing not only on how it looks, but also on how it works. Rahul Mehta succeeds as IAF President: In the general assembly of the International Apparel Federation, held during the World Fashion Convention, Rahul Mehta was elected as new IAF President for the coming two years. He succeeds Harry van Dalfsen who has been IAF’s leader in the past four years. Rahul Mehta is President of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) representing this association in IAF since many years. The general assembly also agreed with other changes in IAF’s management. Claudio Marenzi, President of the Italian Apparel and Textile Association Systema Moda Italia (SMI) was elected Vice-President of IAF. IAF’s Secretary-General Han Bekke will step down end of this year after holding this position since eight years. He was elected as new member of the IAF board in which he will take the position as treasurer from Hasan Arat who stepped down as member of the board. New Secretary-General of IAF from January 1, 2015 onwards will be Matthijs Crietee, who is currently Deputy Secretary-General. In his opening speech, outgoing IAF President Harry van Dalfsen showed his optimism about the global fashion industry. Although it faces great challenges, he said, it is full of great examples of companies finding new ways to entice customers, add new value, expand markets and improve its hugely complex supply chain. He sees as a positive sign of the times ahead and the growing power of local brands in emerging markets. According to him, strong local brands inspire international brands to adapt their global style to local circumstances and international brands force local brands to learn more quickly to compete. On the supply side, he stated that he believes, positive changes in the apparel industry will be driven more in the coming decade by investments in the manufacturing part of the industry. He opined that a new, more balanced relation between brands, retailers and manufacturers is needed to make joint decisions on investments, improving productivity, working conditions and reducing costs and environmental footprint. Source: Fashion United

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Nike - A Retrospective of Brasil's Yellow Jersey from 1998!

Here a look back from 1996-2014, Nike's designs for the most iconic uniform in sport: the Brazil national team kit since they have been kitting the Selecao. The yellow jersey. Called Amarelinha or Little Yellow One, the home shirt for the most successful football team in the world of football represents the exuberant pride of the nation and is as recognizable as the country's flag. "Football is so ingrained in Brazil, it dissolves into the culture. It's hard to capture the meaning of the relationship between Brazilians and the sport," says Peter Hudson, former Creative Director who worked on Nike football apparel for seven years. "I think you have to go to events, be at a match, look players in the eye on the starting line to really appreciate what it means." The Brazil national team home jersey wasn't always yellow. It took a devastating defeat in the 1950 final at home to initiate a color scheme change. After wearing white and blue for half a century, the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) debuted a new kit in yellow, green and blue — the colors of Brazil's flag — in 1954. The design was the result of a national competition, and the new colours stuck. Nike started making kits for CBF in 1997, after signing on as the team's official apparel sponsor the year prior. Here, a look inside the process of creating Brazil's national team home kit for the major competitions of 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. Source: Article

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Nike - The Heat is On in Brazil!

Football played in Brazil this June and July could see temperatures around 25°C (77°F), with at least 10 matches pushing 30°C (86°F). For athletes playing 90-minute matches in these conditions, keeping cool is crucial to performance. Nike's 2014 national team kits have been designed with optimal cooling solutions to give athletes a leg up in these conditions and help them stay cool under pressure on the world stage. Key cooling elements in Nike’s National Team Kit system of dress include:

• Sweat-wicking Nike Dri-FIT fabrication
• Dual-knit construction moves sweat away from skin to the outside of the kit where it can evaporate more quickly
• Dual-knit construction features a fabrication that is cooler and softer against skin
• Burn-out mesh at the back of the national team kits and Nike Pro baselayer reduces weight by removing fabric in key heat zones for added breathability
• Laser-cut ventilation increases airflow over the skin
• Nike Pro baselayer options are 16 percent lighter than their predecessors with added cooling and ventilation
• Increased abrasion protection in the Pro baselayer Slider Short match athletes’ sliding patterns with increased breathability and decreased weight. Source: Article

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