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WORLD NEWSTuesday 19 January 2016

Brazil to fund development of vaccine for Zika virus

SAO PAULO (AP) — The tantan Institute to develop cent surge in birth defects cases were seen in all of cies in the United States or
Brazilian government an- “in record time” a vaccine including microcephaly, 2014. Most have been con- Europe to avoid infection.
nounced it will direct funds for Zika, which is spread a rare condition in which centrated in Brazil’s poor The Zika virus is spread by
to a biomedical research through mosquito bites. In- newborns have smaller northeast, though cases in the Aedes aegypti mos-
center to help develop stitute director Jorge Kalil than normal heads and Rio de Janeiro and other quito, which can also carry
a vaccine against a virus said that is expected take their brains do not develop big cities have also been dengue and chikungunya.
linked to brain damage in 3 to 5 years. properly. The Health Minis- on the rise, prompting peo- “Today there is only one
babies. Brazil is currently experi- try says 3,530 babies have ple to stock up on mosquito way to fight the Zika virus,
Health Minister Marcelo encing the largest known been born with microceph- repellent. Some women of which is to destroy the mos-
Castro said that the goal is outbreak of Zika. The virus aly in the country since Oc- means have left the coun- quito’s breeding grounds,”
for the Sao Paulo-based Bu- has been linked to a re- tober. Fewer than 150 such try to spend their pregnan- Castro said.q

Puerto Rico revises fiscal reform plan amid growing deficit

Carlos Rivera Vélez, with the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association, center, testifies on Capitol to $24 billion by 2025. merging state agencies,
Hill in Capitol Hill in Washington on the financial situation of Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority. The announcement comes cutting subsidies to munici-
Puerto Rico is revising a fiscal and economic reform plan to reflect a jump in the island’s projected as Puerto Rico seeks access palities and extending leg-
deficit and steep drop in anticipated revenues, officials said Monday. to a bankruptcy mecha- islation to freeze new hires
nism as it struggles with and salary increases.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) $72 billion in public debt Portions of the plan re-
that the governor has said quire legislative approval,
DANICA COTO cials said Monday. ence call that they expect is unpayable and needs but government officials
Associated Press The government said the revenue to fall by $1.7 bil- restructuring. The U.S. terri- expect to negotiate with
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) deficit is now projected to lion over the same period. tory already has defaulted creditors soon as they
— Puerto Rico is revising a grow from $14 billion to $16 The government also ex- on several payments and warned that time was run-
fiscal and economic re- billion over the next five tended projections within faces its first lawsuit over ning out. “The information
form plan to reflect a jump years due to the U.S. terri- the five-year plan by an- the government diverting contained in the updated
in the island’s projected tory’s worsening economic other five years at the re- funds to meet certain pay- plan makes all the more
deficit and steep drop in crisis. Officials also told re- quest of creditors, noting ments. clear that actions must be
anticipated revenues, offi- porters during a confer- that the deficit could grow The government also has taken before the Com-
implemented other mea- monwealth runs out of op-
sures to help maintain li- tions to pay its debt and
quidity, including deferring provide essential services
payments to suppliers and to the people of Puerto
withholding some $330 mil- Rico,” said Melba Acosta,
lion in tax refunds. president of the Govern-
“Continuation of these ment Development Bank.
measures is neither sustain- U.S. Treasury Secretary Ja-
able nor in the interest of cob Lew is expected to visit
any stakeholder, as they Puerto Rico on Wednesday
will only deepen the finan- and meet with govern-
cial gaps,” said Secretary ment officials and business
of State Victor Suarez. leaders to talk about the
The original fiscal reform island’s financial situation.
plan was released in Sep- He demanded last week
tember and addresses only that U.S. Congress approve
a portion of the island’s legislation by March to
debt. The plan calls for deal with Puerto Rico’s cri-
several measures such as sis before it’s too late. q

Brazilian mining firm allegedly knew dam at risk of bursting

M. SAVARESE compromised at the Mari- also said that Minas Gerais even though it failed to sued a document in July of
Associated Press ana dam in Minas Gerais investigators believe that provide all necessary docu- 2015 saying that the dam
SAO PAULO (AP) — The min- state. Samarco neglected key ments to operate the mine. was stable.
ing company responsible Samarco is a joint-venture documents to obtain the The Minas Gerais state at- Samarco said it disagreed
for Latin America’s biggest of mining giants Vale and dam’s license. torney general’s office and with the federal police de-
environmental tragedy on BHP Billiton. The company denies that. the state government did cision because no conclu-
record knew since 2013 The TV-led media con- not immediately respond sion has been made about
that its dam in southeast The company’s attorney glomerate added that the to requests for comment. what exactly caused the
Brazil was at risk of bursting. said that the firm took pre- investigation by the Minas Last week, burst.
Brazil’s TV Globo report- cautions after the warning. Gerais attorney general’s Brazil’s federal police in- Brazil’s federal government
ed Sunday night that it The dam burst on Nov. 5, office showed that the first dicted Samarco, Vale and and Minas Gerais and Es-
had obtained documents killing 17 people and pol- concerns about the mine’s seven of their executives pirito Santo states filed a
showing that consultants luting 850 kilometers (530 safety appeared in 2007. for the dam burst. Among lawsuit in December asking
hired by mining firm Samar- miles) of waterways in two Samarco managed to get those indicted were Samar- Samarco,
co reported more than two states of southeast Brazil. the environmental license co’s CEO, geology experts Vale and BHP to pay about
years ago that safety was TV Globo, the head of Bra- from the state government and an engineer who is- $5 billion in damages.q
zil’s biggest media group,