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Brazil Dam Burst: Environmental Damage Spreading Down River

We hear from a village 500km from the accident where fishing has been banned. Plus, China announces a $60bn financial package to fund African development.

It is a month since a catastrophic dam burst in eastern Brazil. Waste from the Samarco mine, owned equally by two global mining giants Vale and BHP Billiton, killed 13 people. Many hundreds of people were displaced in the disaster as 60,000 tonnes of toxic waste from the mine and mud swallowed up entire villages below the dam. The Brazilian government is seeking US$5.2bn in damages. The 大象传媒's Daniel Gallas reports from the breached dam a month ago. He has now gone to see how people and villages much further down the River Doce have been affected.

Also on the programme, China's President Xi Jinping has announced a $60bn financial package to fund African development. Speaking at the China-Africa Summit in Johannesburg the President said he was convinced that African countries and people were embracing a new era. South Africa's President Jacob Zuma, who is joint host at the summit, welcomed Africa and China's deepening partnership. We speak to the 大象传媒's Africa correspondent, Karen Allen.

And, Venezuelans are preparing to vote for a new parliament on Sunday. However, recession, shortages of basic goods, such as sugar, and the highest inflation rate in the world, have stoked expectations that the ruling socialist government could lose. We get more from the 大象传媒's Daniel Pardo in Caracas. Picture: Global Climate March Highlights Doce River Pollution; Picture Credit: Getty Images

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27 minutes

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  • Fri 4 Dec 2015 19:32GMT