Brazil: At least 25 killed in Rio de Janeiro shoot-out

At least 25 people including a police officer have been killed in a shoot-out in Rio de Janeiro, according to local media.

The shoot-out took place during a police operation in a favela in the Jacarezinho area of the city.

Police launched the operation after receiving reports that drug traffickers were recruiting children for their gang.

Two passengers on a metro train were hit by bullets but survived.

Police in the Brazilian city confirmed the death of one of their officers, Inspector Andre Leonardo de Mello Frias. A statement on Facebook said "he honoured the profession he loved and will be missed".

Police Chief Ronaldo Oliveira told Reuters news agency that Thursday's raid was "the largest number of deaths in a police operation in Rio".

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According to local news, the gang targeted in this raid engages in drug trafficking, mugging, murders and kidnappings.

Television images showed suspects trying to escape across rooftops as police entered the favela.

Meanwhile, residents of Jacarezinho have shared accounts of what they witnessed on social media.One resident posted a photo of his blood-covered floor and said two people had died in his house as police chased the criminals. The man, who did not want to give his name, said he would try to move out of the area as soon as possible.

"We're trying to sell the house as fast as possible, we can't continue to live here," he said.

Other residents said officers had seized their phones, accusing them of warning gang members of the raid.Sociology professor Ignacio Cano from the Laboratory for the Analysis of Violence at Rio State University dismissed the reasons the police gave for the raid: "To say that drug traffickers recruit children and teenagers to deal drugs is almost laughable because everyone knows that these gangs have minors who work for them.

"To say that you're going to launch a massive raid because you've discovered that traffickers recruit children is a joke."

Rio de Janeiro is one of Brazil's most violent states and vast areas are under the control of criminals, many of them linked to powerful drug-trafficking gangs.

Security forces in Brazil have often been accused of excessive use of force against the civilian population during anti-crime operations in major cities.

A court ruling last June restricted police action in poor neighbourhoods of Rio during the pandemic unless it was deemed essential.

Rio de Janeiro is the city with the biggest percentage of people living in shanty towns in Brazil - 22%. It's a population of 1,3 million, 70% of which are black.

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Worrying resurgence
Analysis by Camilla Motta, BBC Brasil reporter, Sao Paulo

Police operations targeting favelas controlled by drug traffickers are quite common in Rio. This, however, is the deadliest operation since 2016.

Since a court ruling last June restricted police action in poor neighbourhoods in Rio, the number of deaths in shootouts in favelas has fallen.

In the first month alone, deaths plummeted 70% when compared to the average recorded since 2007, according to the research group Grupo de Estudos dos Novos Ilegalismos, from Universidade Federal Fluminense.

The drop was not followed by a rise in crime. In fact, property crimes were down by 40% and homicides by 48%. Researchers argue this shows that police operations are not the best strategy to tackle crime.

Read More : Covid: Germany rejects US-backed proposal to waive vaccine patents

Germany has voiced opposition to a US-backed proposal to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines, saying they were not hindering production of the jabs.

Its government said "the protection of intellectual property is a source of innovation and must remain so".

The European Union earlier said it was ready to talk about the proposal, and some states gave it their full backing.

Supporters of the plan say it would allow more manufactures to produce the life-saving vaccines.

They argue that this will increase access to jabs in poorer countries.

But opponents, including drug makers, say it may not have the desired effect.The idea was originally proposed by India and South Africa, who have been leading a group of about 60 countries at the World Trade Organization (WTO) - an intergovernmental body that promotes global commerce. The group is pushing for the temporary removal of intellectual property protections on vaccines.

The idea was met with strong opposition from the previous US administration of Donald Trump, as well as the UK and the EU.

But it gained momentum this week after the US backed it.

What have EU countries said?
In a statement on Thursday, the German government said the US-backed proposal would have "significant implications for vaccine production as a whole".

"The limiting factors in the production of vaccines are the production capacities and the high quality standards and not patents," it said, adding that pharmaceutical companies were already working with partners to ramp up manufacturing.

Germany is the EU's biggest economic power and home to a major pharmaceutical sector, including BioNTech which developed one of the most widely-used coronavirus vaccines.

The remarks by the German government came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc was "ready to discuss" the proposal on waiving patents.

Ms von der Leyen has previously spoken about her opposition to lifting intellectual property rights, telling the New York Times just weeks ago that she was "not at all a friend of releasing patents".Meanwhile, officials in other member states such as France and Italy gave the proposal their full backing.

The issue is reportedly set to be on the agenda at a two-day EU meeting this week.

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Outside of the EU, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he supported the idea of a waiver.

The UK government said it was "working with WTO members to resolve this issue" and was "in discussions with the US and WTO members to facilitate increased production and supply of Covid-19 vaccines".

What exactly is intellectual property?
Intellectual property describes creations, such as inventions, which are protected by patents, copyrights and trademarks. These prevent copying and allow the originator to be financially rewarded.

Patents give innovating firms a short-term monopoly on production to cover the costs of development and encourage investment.

Biotech firms argue that such protection has provided incentives to produce Covid vaccines in record times.

What is the debate?
Many developing countries have argued that rules requiring countries to protect patents and other forms of intellectual property are an obstacle to increasing the production of vaccines and other products needed to tackle the pandemic.

Calls for a vaccine patent waiver come as lower income countries face acute vaccine shortages.