International
Brazil’s Bolsonaro downplays Omicron
AFP
President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday downplayed the Omicron coronavirus variant amid a surge in hard-hit Brazil, ruling out new containment measures as he defended the pursuit of herd immunity through widespread infection.
In the country with the world’s second-highest Covid-19 death toll, Bolsonaro said the arrival of the Omicron variant posed little threat, even as experts warn of growing pressure on hospitals.
“Omicron has not killed anyone,” the coronavirus-skeptic president said, after municipal authorities in the state of Goias announced the country’s first death due to the new variant.
“The person who died in Goias already had serious problems, notably with the lungs,” which is what killed them, Bolsonaro told the Gazeta Brazil.
Experts say the variant is already the most widespread in Brazil.
Bolsonaro cited provisional evidence of Omicron being more contagious but less deadly than some earlier variants.
“Some even say it is a vaccinating virus. Some smart and serious people, not aligned to the pharmaceutical industry, say Omicron is welcome and could herald the end of the pandemic,” the far-right president added.
– Herd immunity –
Asked in Geneva about Bolsonaro’s statements, the director of the World Health Organization’s emergency program, Mike Ryan, said, “No virus that kills is welcome, especially if death and suffering can be avoided.”
According to the Brazilian UOL news outlet, Ryan added: “The fact that the virus is less severe does not mean that the disease is mild.”
Bolsonaro insisted that Brazil’s economy could not afford another lockdown, and defended the controversial approach of allowing people to get infected for so-called herd immunity against the virus to take root.
“Herd immunity is a reality. A person immunized with the virus has a lot more antibodies than a vaccinated person,” Bolsonaro insisted.
“Me, for example, I am not vaccinated and I am very well.”
Bolsonaro recovered from a coronavirus infection in July 2020, has said he will not get vaccinated, and has opposed health passes given to vaccinated people to access certain places as a breach of freedom.
In October, a Brazilian Senate commission approved a damning report that recommends criminal charges, including for crimes against humanity, be brought against the president for his Covid policies.
He has had social media posts deleted numerous times for spreading misinformation and inciting people to violate social distancing and mask-wearing policies.
Bolsonaro has suggested vaccines could turn people into “crocodiles,” and has endorsed the use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment, despite scientific studies showing it does not work.
Covid-19 has claimed more than 620,000 lives in Brazil, a toll second only to the United States.
The health ministry said Tuesday the country had registered more than 70,700 new cases in 24 hours — a rate eight times higher than two weeks earlier.
At the deadliest peak of the pandemic last year, hospitals were pushed to the brink of collapse in many areas, and the daily death toll at one point exceeded 4,000.
The vast country of 213 million people was slow to start its vaccination campaign under a president who had minimized Covid-19 as a “little flu.”
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoOne survivor confirmed after Air India flight crashes with 242 on board
-
International5 days agoShark attacks child in Florida
-
International5 days agoOver 200 dead after London-Bound plane crashes in India
-
International3 days agoChina shows at the UN its “condemnation” of Israel for the “violation of Iran’s sovereignty”
-
International5 days agoUncle Sam used in DHS poster calling for public to report immigrants
-
International5 days agoHegseth dodges lawmakers’ questions on potential U.S. invasion plans for Greenland, Panama
-
International3 days agoICE under fire for detaining undocumented teen from Florida foster care
-
International5 days agoAt least five others involved in attack on Miguel Uribe Turbay
-
International5 days agoArgentine government says Cristina Fernández sentence was fair and free of political influence
-
International3 days agoDonald Trump’s government pauses its program of indiscriminate raides against migrants
-
International13 hours agoJudge to rule next week on injunction against Trump’s student visa restrictions
-
Central America13 hours agoGuatemala cracks down on prison corruption with over 20 raids in recent weeks
-
Central America1 day agoNicaraguan exile coalition urges Costa Rica to receive U.S. deportees fleeing Ortega regime
-
International3 days agoTrump says he knew “everything” about the attack on Iran and assures that the dialogue remains open
-
International3 days agoIsrael warns of retaliation after iranian missiles hit civilian areas
-
International13 hours agoChina calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
-
International3 days agoRight and far right leaders aspire to win the next elections in Latin America
-
Central America1 day agoFirst woman elected president in the Americas, Violeta Chamorro, dead at 95
-
International5 days agoEight Killed in Gaza as Hamas allegedly attacks Israel-Backed aid group
-
International3 days agoCalifornia sues Trump over deployment of military forces in immigration arrests
-
International13 hours agoTrump directs ICE to focus deportation efforts on democratic-led states
-
International13 hours agoSuspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
-
International3 days agoMore than 2,000 protests in the US will condemn Donald Trump’s “authoritarianism” this Saturday
-
International13 hours ago40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
-
International3 days agoCriticism of ICE in Florida for arresting a minor from Honduras and taking him away from a foster family
-
International13 hours ago
Israeli strike targets Iran’s state news agency amid escalating conflict
-
International13 hours agoNetanyahu: Israel is ‘changing the face of the Middle East’ amid Iran strikes