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At least 200,000 people have marched through the streets of Brazil’s biggest cities, as protests over rising public transport costs and the expense of staging the 2014 World Cup have spread.
The biggest demonstration was in Rio de Janeiro, where 100,000 people joined a mainly peaceful march.
In the capital, Brasilia, people breached security at the National Congress building and scaled its roof.
In Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paulo, about 65,000 people took to the streets.
The wave of protests kicked off earlier this month when Sao Paulo residents marched against an increase in the price of a single bus fare, from 3 reals ($1.40) to 3.20.
Authorities said the rise was well below inflation, which since the last price increase in January 2011 has been 15.5%, according to official figures.
The way these initial marches were policed – with officers accused of firing rubber bullets and tear gas at peaceful protesters – further incensed Sao Paulo residents and shifted the focus from rising transport costs to wider issues.
“For many years, the government has been feeding corruption, people are demonstrating against the system,” Graciela Cacador told Reuters news agency.
Others complained about vast sums of money spent on hosting the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics instead of being invested in health and education.
“This is a communal cry saying: <<We’re not satisfied!>>,” Maria Claudia Cardoso told the Associated Press news agency.
At least 200,000 people have marched through the streets of Brazil’s biggest cities, as protests over rising public transport costs and the expense of staging the 2014 World Cup have spread
“We don’t have good schools for our kids. Our hospitals are in awful shape. Corruption is rife. These protests will make history and wake our politicians up to the fact we’re not taking it anymore,” she said.
“We need better education, hospitals and security, not billions spent on the World Cup,” said one mother who attended the Sao Paulo march with her daughter.
“We’re a rich country with a lot of potential but the money doesn’t go to those who need it most,” 26-year-old photographer Manoela Chiabai told the Associated Press.
Police took a hands-off approach at Monday’s demonstration following an earlier meeting between protest organizers and security chiefs at which they had agreed that regular police would not carry rubber bullet guns.
Protests were reported in as many as 11 cities on Monday.
In Rio 100,000 people took part in a mainly peaceful march, although a small group threw rocks at police, wounding five officers. They also set fire to a car and vandalized the state assembly building.
Police there reportedly used tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse them.
There were also clashes with police in Belo Horizonte, which was hosting the latest game in the Confederations Cup, the warm-up tournament for the World Cup.
An 18-year-old is reportedly in a stable condition in hospital after falling from an overpass in the city.
And in Brasilia, more than 200 protesters managed to get onto the roof of the National Congress building. After negotiations with police, the crowd agreed to leave. Later, youths formed a human chain around the building, the AFP news agency said.
“Peaceful demonstrations are legitimate,” President Dilma Rousseff said in a statement.
“It is natural for the young to demonstrate.”
However, Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo warned protesters that the authorities would not allow them to disrupt the Confederations Cup or next year’s World Cup.
“The government assumed the responsibility and the honor to stage these two international events, and will do so, ensuring the security and integrity of the fans and tourists,” he said.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called on both sides to remain calm.
“We urge the Brazilian authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with spreading social protests in the country, and also call on demonstrators not to resort to acts of violence in pursuit of their demands,” said a spokesman for the High Commissioner.
“With further protests planned, we are however concerned that the reported excessive use of police force in recent days should not be repeated.”
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Rio de Janeiro’s world-famous Maracana stadium has reopened after nearly three years of renovations to prepare it for the World Cup finals in 2014.
Workers who helped with the renovation and their families were treated to an exhibition match between teams of stars past and present.
But leading newspapers reported problems with the new facility.
The reopening follows controversy over delays, costs and the future privatization of the site.
The renovation was completed four months behind schedule.
Days before the test event, seats were still being installed and pavements laid near the venue.
Rio de Janeiro’s world-famous Maracana stadium has reopened after nearly three years of renovations to prepare it for the World Cup finals in 2014.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Rio de Janeiro’s Mayor Eduardo Paes were among the 30,000-strong crowd watching the friendly between teams captained by Ronaldo and Bebeto.
But the Jornal do Brasil said Saturday’s visitors “needed patience to deal with the many problems” at the venue, arising from the rush to complete it.
It highlighted uneven flooring with small gaps and holes, flooding in the VIP area and a dysfunctional lift, and said some staff had tried to prevent journalists taking pictures of the affected areas.
Workers were still finishing building a stadium wall, and ticket offices, turnstiles and gates were not working, said another paper, the Folha de Sao Paulo.
But in a statement quoted by the Folha de Sao Paulo, the Rio de Janeiro state government pointed out that this was a test event, using only 30% of the stadium’s full capacity, and did not represent the full reopening.
It said it was “natural” that some more work remained to be done.
“Maracana will be delivered fully ready on the date set by FIFA: 24 May,” it reportedly said.
Former Brazil star striker Ronaldo, who captained one team for the exhibition match against former teammate Bebeto, said the stadium looked “amazing”.
“I’m happy to see the stadium ready again. The Maracana is a symbol of this country,” he said, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Former Brazil coach and player Mario Zagallo said he had “goose-bumps” when he arrived, AP said.
The first major international test of the facility will be a friendly between Brazil and England on June 2 before the Confederations Cup begins two weeks later.
There has been criticism of the cost of the renovation – nearly $500 million – because the stadium has already seen a number of upgrades.
A Brazilian indigenous group, the Aldeia Maracana (or Maracana tribe), have also protested at the site against their eviction from a former indigenous museum, built in 1862.
Plans to privatize the Maracana have run into controversy too, with demonstrations against the demolition of local facilities to make way for an arena with bars, restaurants and shops.
Critics say privatization will return much less to the government than it invested in the project.
The Maracana is seen as an iconic venue. Nearly 200,000 people watched the 1950 World Cup final between Brazil and Uruguay – the largest crowd ever to have watched a football match at a stadium.
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The Brazilian stadium that was due to host athletics at the 2016 Olympics has been closed indefinitely because of structural problems with its roof.
The Joao Havelange stadium in Rio de Janeiro was built only six years ago.
The stadium was also being used as the main football venue in Rio, while the city’s Maracana stadium is being renovated for the 2014 World Cup.
It is an embarrassment for Brazil as it prepares for its two huge sporting events, say correspondents.
The Joao Havelange stadium in Rio de Janeiro that was due to host athletics at the 2016 Olympics has been closed indefinitely because of structural problems with its roof
Brazilian authorities have also acknowledged delays in work on the Maracana and a funding problem at another stadium, which is set to host the opening match at the World Cup.
Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes told a news conference on Tuesday that he had been told about the structural problems at the stadium – locally referred to as the Engenhao – earlier the same day.
“I asked if this represented a risk for spectators and they told me it did, depending on the wind speed and temperature.
“On that basis, I immediately decided to close the stadium until we had more details.”
Eduardo Paes said the situation was “simply not acceptable” for a stadium which opened such a short time ago, and warned that those responsible would be held to account.
The Joao Havelange stadium opened late and over budget in 2007.
The stadium has since been leased to local football club Botafogo.
Pope Francis has announced in his Palm Sunday homily he will visit Brazil in July for the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.
The Pope will attend the Catholic youth gathering in Rio de Janeiro, saying Mass on Copacabana beach and praying at the Christ the Redeemer statue.
Pope Francis spoke in St Peter’s Square as Holy Week, the most important period in the Christian calendar, began.
Thousands of people waved olive branches and palm fronds in the crowd.
The gesture commemorates palm branches which, according to the Bible, were laid in the path of Jesus Christ when he made his entry on a donkey into Jerusalem before his crucifixion.
Pope Francis has announced in his Palm Sunday homily he will visit Brazil in July for the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro
Pope Francis departed frequently from the prepared text of his homily.
His style is informal, direct and, in contrast to his predecessors, he tells stories off the cuff to illustrate the points he wants to make, our correspondent says.
The Catholic youth festival is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims from around the world.
Towards the end of his homily, Pope Francis said: “I look forward joyfully to next July in Rio de Janeiro.
“I will see you in that great city in Brazil.”
The gathering in Rio would, Pope Francis said, be a “sign of faith for the whole world”.
Pope Benedict XVI attended the last such festival, in Madrid, in August 2011.
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As Brazil’s annual carnival gets under way, Rio de Janeiro’s oldest street parade has drawn an estimated 1.5 million revellers.
The samba-dancing crowd filled the streets of Rio’s business district and some passed out under the summer heat.
Police arrested more than 100 partygoers for minor crimes, but the majority of celebrations were peaceful, officials say.
About 700 other street parties and the world-renowned samba schools’ parade will take place in Rio until Tuesday.
The Cordao do Bola Preta 95th annual street parade kicked off at 10:00 on Saturday.
Thousands, many wearing costumes, danced as live bands on lorries played tunes of traditional carnival songs and samba school themes.
The crowds converged in the early afternoon, and many revellers climbed onto parked police cars, as the massive street party drew to a close.
One of the cars had its windscreen smashed in and more than 100 were detained by the police, mostly for urinating on the streets, the authorities said.
Hundreds of other street parties are happening in Rio, many simultaneously in different parts of the city.
As Brazil’s annual carnival gets under way, Rio de Janeiro’s oldest street parade has drawn an estimated 1.5 million revellers
The samba schools competition, with its sophisticated floats and costumes, is set to happen in Rio’s Sambadrome between Sunday and Monday.
The carnival is set to draw 1.1m tourists to Rio, generating some $650 million for the local economy. Hotels and restaurants are booked almost to capacity.
Will Smith, rapper Kanye West and Megan Fox are already in the city for the celebrations.
Brazil’s annual carnival kicked off on Friday, but the parades and street parties had a sombre tinge, coming after a nightclub fire that killed 238 people.
Mourning rituals continued as the mayor of Rio de Janeiro handed over the keys of the city to carnival ceremonial figurehead King Momo.
President Dilma Rousseff attended a memorial Mass for the fire victims at Brasilia’s cathedral on Thursday night.
She is not taking part in the five-day party, spending it in Bahia state.
For Brazil, Rio Carnival 2013 is an important test of the city’s infrastructure ahead of the big sporting events lined up for the future, including the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.
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Rio annual carnival has kicked off in Brazil, but the parades and street parties have a sombre tinge coming after a nightclub fire that killed 238 people.
Mourning rituals continued as the mayor of Rio de Janeiro handed over the keys of the city to carnival ceremonial figurehead King Momo.
President Dilma Rousseff attended a memorial Mass for the fire victims at Brasilia’s cathedral on Thursday night.
She is not taking part in the five-day party, spending it in Bahia state.
More than 60 casualties of the inferno remain in hospital, and many cities – particularly near the southern city of Santa Maria where the fire happened – have scaled down their festivities as a result.
For Brazil, Rio Carnival 2013 is an important test of the city’s infrastructure ahead of the big sporting events lined up for the future, including the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.
Streets in Rio, where festivities kick off on Saturday, were already crowded on Friday with thousands of people, following more spontaneous street parades.
This year, more than 700 processions will make their way through various parts of the city, with US actress Megan Fox among the international celebrities expected to take part.
Rio annual carnival has kicked off in Brazil, but the parades and street parties have a sombre tinge coming after a nightclub fire that killed 238 people
The carnival is set to draw 1.1 million tourists to Rio, generating some $650 million for the local economy. Hotels and restaurants are booked almost to capacity.
South Korean pop phenomenon PSY – whose trademark Gangnam Style dance mimicking trotting on a horse, holding the reins and spinning a lasso has made him a household name – will perform during the street parties in Brazil’s third largest city, Salvador.
Last year, the Cordao da Bola Preta, one of Rio’s oldest and most popular carnival street parties, attracted 2.2 million revellers – the largest crowd in its 93-year history.
From Sunday, Samba schools compete with each other at spectacular parades in special stadiums known as sambadromes – with elaborately decorated floats and dancers wearing multicolored costumes often adorned with large feathers.
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Five years ago, Sophia Loren became the oldest model to ever poise for the legendary Pirelli calendar at the grand old age of 72 and now she still managed to put the younger models in the shade at the launch of the 2013 iconic calendar.
Sophia Loren, now 78-years-old, looked stunning in a glittering pearly-white gown in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday evening.
With her brown hair worn over her shoulders and tinted glasses, the star added diamond earrings and a necklace to her dazzling outfit.
Sophia Loren looked thrilled to be in the Brazilian city among a slew of much-younger models, smiling and waving to photographers.
The Oscar-winning star was one of five actresses to appear on the calendar’s 33rd edition back in 2007.
Sophia Loren joined Penelope Cruz, Hilary Swank, Naomi Watts and French star Lou Doillon on the iconic calendar which has been published since 1964.
She was pictured on a bed wearing black lingerie underneath white sheets.
“I had a lot of fun, like a young girl” Sophia Loren said of posing for the calendar.
Sophia Loren said she was thrilled by the experience, adding she had “absolutely no problem” posing semi-nude for Dutch photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.
Sophia Loren still managed to put the younger models in the shade at the launch of 2013 Pirelli calendar
“I didn’t think they would ask me such a thing,” she said of the shoot, which took place in California.
“I started to laugh a lot, I found it ridiculous, I was a little bit afraid,” she added.
“I asked a lot of questions, then thought, <<What the hell, I am going to do it anyway>>.
“When you start to feel good, you give it everything you’ve got.”
Sophia Loren even once told her fans her unusual beauty secret: “Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.”
She later took to the stage on Tuesday alongside the Pirelli President Marco Tronchetti Provera and Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro to launch the new calendar.
The Pirelli calendar is never sold but is distributed each year by the tire firm to some 40,000 VIPs, top customers, politicians and other personalities.
Meanwhile models from the world over were also in attendance including Petra Nemcova who plumped for a subtle gold long sleeved gown, and American model Kyleigh Kuhn, who took the plunge in a daring black number.
They were joined by beauties Liya Kebede, Hanaa Ben Abdesslem and Summer Rayne Oakes.
A giant sculpture by Jaume Plensa representing the head of a 14-year-old girl has been unveiled on the famous Botafogo beach, in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.
The white 12 m (39-foot) tall head made out of resin and marble dust is the latest sculpture by the Spanish artist.
Entitled Olhar nos meus sonhos (To see my dreams), the sculpture portrays a girl with her eyes are closed.
Jaume Plensa says the aim of the sculpture is “to make people dream”.
Entitled To see my dreams, Jaume Plensa sculpture portrays a girl with her eyes are closed
The artist, who was born in Barcelona in 1955, is best known for creating public sculptures on a monumental scale.
Jaume Plensa’s work Echo, on display in New York’s Madison Square Park, depicts the head of a nine-year girl seemingly lost in thought.
Another of Jaume Plensa’s female heads, called Dream, can be seen in St. Helens in England.
Olhar nos meus sonhos will be on display on Botafogo beach for two months as part of the public art exhibition Other Ideas for Rio.
London Olympics 2012 has hardly even had time to enjoy its success and already Rio is attempting to steal its shine, earlier this week releasing the official theme song for the 2016 Olympics.
As can be expected, the new song and video showcase the typical laid-back, tropical style associated with the South American gem.
The Gods of Olympus Visit Rio de Janeiro, as the song is called, was written by Brazilian composers Arlindo Cruz, Roge and Arlindo Neto, and was performed by well-known Rio de Janeiro natives.
London Olympics 2012 has hardly even had time to enjoy its success and already Rio is attempting to steal its shine, earlier this week releasing the official theme song for the 2016 Olympics
The clip follows several Greek gods as they visit the host city of the next Olympic Games, enjoying its inherent pleasures. As the lyrics reveal, “the gods fell in love with the city and didn’t want to leave.”
The song was released at the beginning of this week after Mayor Eduardo Paes, Governor Sergio Cabral, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee Carlos Arthur Nuzma and several Brazilian athletes returned to the city with the Olympic flag.
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The official Olympic flag has arrived in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, the host city of 2016 Games.
Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes waved the flag after stepping off the plane with other officials and Brazilian athletes who competed in London.
The flag was handed to Eduardo Paes on Sunday in London before the flame at the Olympic Stadium was extinguished.
The move marks the official start of Rio’s preparations for the 2016 Games.
Arriving on Monday with the flag, Eduardo Paes was accompanied by Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president of the 2016 Games Organising Committee, Rio Governor Sergio Cabral, and the country’s team of athletes.
The official Olympic flag has arrived in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, the host city of 2016 Games
Brazil finished 22nd in London 2012, winning 17 medals, two more than its previous best in Beijing.
Rio de Janeiro will be the first South American city to host the Olympics. The city has yet to construct the Olympic Park and other venues, and many have expressed concern about how much work there is to do ahead of the event.
During a visit in June, members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that timelines were “already very tight” and that “the amount of work to be completed is considerable”.
Worries about Olympic readiness are not new, but that not since Athens have there been so many questions about a host’s ability to stage the Olympics.
The transport system in Rio already struggles to serve its six million people.
But Eduardo Paes has promised to transform the city’s infrastructure, and the government says all of the Olympic venues will be finished a year before the games start.
They will be helped by the fact that they have something of a dress rehearsal, when the World Cup arrives in Brazil in 2014.
As the delegation touched down, a group of demonstrators were gathered outside the airport in Rio to protest against planned evictions connected to the Olympics planning, according to the Associated Press.
The London Olympics were brought to a close on Sunday night with a spectacular musical ceremony, featuring some of the biggest names of British pop, including the Spice Girls, George Michael and Elbow.
In a separate development on Monday, a female athlete from Belarus was stripped of her gold medal in the London Olympics after failing two drugs tests.
The shot putter, Nadzeya Ostapchuk, was the first athlete to lose a medal in the 2012 Games due to doping.
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Jennifer Lopez looked in high spirits as she flashed her stomach in a crop top when she arrived in Rio de Janeiro with her beau Casper Smart yesterday.
Her composure was admirable considering the day before she had been robbed almost immediately before going into concert.
Jennifer Lopez, 42, looked completely relaxed, dressed down in pale jeans, sandals, a loose knitted cardigan, and a scarf.
She accessorized with her trademark gold hoop earrings, sunglasses and a chunky red studded bracelet, while Casper Smart kept things simple in jeans and a white t-shirt.
J Lo was certainly shown a warm welcome, and was showered with gifts including a t-shirt and flowers as she arrived.
The reception must to have come as some comfort to Jennifer Lopez, who has had a difficult few days in South America.
Jennifer Lopez ran into a spot of trouble on Thursday when she was robbed just after leaving a clinic where she was being treated for a stabbing pain in her back.
During her concert a few hours later at the GEBA stadium in Buenos Aires a thief reportedly stole personal items including computer, a camera and a bag with personal documents from her dressing room.
J Lo’s manager Benny Medina is now apparently unable to leave the country, since he has lost all forms of identification.
It seems J Lo’s back pain was related to her children.
Jennifer Lopez took to Twitter to explain, writing: “Got an xray this morning…all good…pulled back muscle.’
“Coconuts getting to big to carry both at once. Awww… #timeflies 🙁 “
Ever the professional, Jennifer Lopez still performed her two-hour concert the same evening, belting out hits such as Get Right, Let’s Get Loud, Waiting for Tonight and Jenny From the Block.
Meanwhile the singer has been warned off her toyboy beau- by none other than Casper Smart’s “best friend”.
Back-up dancer Josh Ayers says J Lo shouldn’t trust him as far as she can throw him.
“He’s willing to do whatever Jennifer wants as long as it furthers his own career,” Josh Ayers told In Touch Weekly.
Josh Ayers was reportedly close to Casper Smart for years, and claims he has seen first hand how the heartthrob manipulates women to get what he wants.
Before Casper Smart hooked up with Jennifer Lopez, he was with steady girlfriend Aisha Francis for two years.
According to Josh Ayers, it was Aisha Francis who helped land Casper Smart a dance gig on Jennifer Lopez’s music video, Dance Again – where the pair first met.
Casper Smart, who has been reportedly showered with gifts by the mother-of-twins, said in an interview last month the relationship he has with Jen “just spontaneously happened”.
Cordao do Bola Preta parade, one of Rio de Janeiro’s oldest and most popular carnival street parties has attracted a record 2.2 million revelers, according to Brazilian police.
The Cordao do Bola Preta parade is famous for attracting a diverse crowd, spanning all ages.
For the first time in its 93-year history, the event allowed electric sound systems and reversed its normal route.
Police said that despite the large crowds, the event had been peaceful.
Dressed as the cartoon character Asterix, Elson de Deus, 65, told Brazilian newspaper O Globo he had been attending the parade ever since he was 13.
This year, Elson de Deus had taken his son along to the parade to continue the family tradition.
Cordao do Bola Preta parade, one of Rio de Janeiro's oldest and most popular carnival street parties has attracted a record 2.2 million revelers
Elizete Vieira, 77, said she had waited for four hours to secure her spot in the parade.
Denisa Chagas told the AFP news agency she liked the Bola Preta parade because it “brings everybody together, people from all districts and neighbouring towns”.
Reflecting the name of Bola Preta, or Black Dot, many revelers wore clothes with black polka dots on a white background.
Others dressed as their sports heroes or donned wigs and tutus.
Police said they had detained 15 people for urinating in the street, but that there had been no serious incidents.
Some 400 street parties have been scheduled for the Rio carnival, but organizers say the Bola Preta parade, which dates back to 1918, is the most traditional.
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