Police Seize Grenades in City of God

RIO DE JANIERO – Early Saturday morning police in the infamous City of God slum seized five handmade grenades that were to be used in attacks on units of the Pacifying Police Units (UPP), reported O Dia online.

Trio Arrested in Morumbi Home Robberies

SAO PAULO (Brazil News Dispatch) – Police this week arrested three suspected members of a gang that robbed homes in this high-class suburb in western São Paulo. Two of the three were arrested on Friday after an accomplice, who was arrested the day before, confessed during interrogation and turned them in, reported terra.com.

Police Seize Dynamite for ATM Robberies

SAO PAULO – Police on Friday seized 11 sticks of dynamite found in an abandoned Fiat Strada in suburban São Paulo. The agents located the explosives after an anonymous tip. According to the police, the informant said that the dynamite was to be used in an ATM robbery, reported O Dia online.

Puma Cub Adopted by Veterinary College

SAO PAULO – A puma cub, found by police in a sugarcane field last Sunday, has found adoptive mothers at the College of Veterinary Medicine Ituverava. The cub, estimated to be about 15 days old, was named Cris and receives around-the-clock care at the college, reports O Globo online.

Architect Shot Dead In Ipanema Robbery

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Architect Rômulo Castro Tavares was killed by a single gunshot to the abdomen during a robbery attempt in Ipanema Saturday morning, reports O Globo.

Thousands of Hotmail Passwords Stolen

RIO DE JANEIRO – A recent phishing attack aimed at Brazilian Hotmail users has resulted in the loss of more than eight thousand user names and passwords over a six day period. The theft was first reported in a study just released by security firm ESET South America which detailed how the scam worked, reports terra.com.

Beer Cans that Transform to Cups Debut

SAO PAULO – A revolutionary new beer container is set to debut on store shelves throughout São Paulo on Saturday. AmBev Brazil's new easy-to-open beer can that transforms into a drinking cup when the easy-open top is removed will initially be used only for the top selling Brahma beer brand, according to a press release.

ATM Robbery Gang That Used Explosives Busted

by Michael Hone

SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Police have arrested 10 members of a gang thought to be responsible for blasting open at least ten ATM machines around the São Paulo Metro area over the last 60 days. One of the members of the gang also stands accused of receiving a work by famed artist Pablo Picasso which was stolen from a São Paulo art gallery in 2008, reports CBN Radio.

Man Arrested After Robbing Boy of Piggy Bank

by Michael Hone

SÃO PAULO, Brazil – A man on a one-day crime spree was arrested after robbing two stores and a private home where a nine-year-old boy was home alone. Ricardo Braga Sabino, 23, was arrested Thursday at the home of the boy in the Paulicéia nieghborhood of São Paulo, reported O Globo.

China Vetoes Brazilian Films for Film Fest

Brazil News

| RIO DE JANEIRO – Of the 18 Brazilian films submitted to the Chinese Government's censorship committee by the organizers of the 11th Annual Brazilian Film Fest, which is scheduled for November in China, only nine have been approved for screening in the Asian country, reported O Globo online last week.

Woman Adjusting TV Antenna Dies from Electrical Shock

SÃO PAULO, Brazil – A woman, adjusting her TV antenna on the roof of a house in Osasco, in the São Paulo Metro area, died of an electrical shock from nearby high voltage wires. The woman was at home with her three children when she decided to fix the antenna, late Wednesday night, reported O Globo online today.

Below Freezing Temps Seen in Southern Brazil

Unusual temperatures even for Southern Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – A mass of polar air passed through the South and Southeast of the country and dropped temperatures below freezing and caused frost in some areas Thursday morning, reported O Globo online.

Zero degrees (photo: www.profimedia.si)

Major Graft at Rio's Int'l Airport

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Federal Police announced today that an investigation dubbed “Operation Free Flight” showed a pattern of fraud, carried out by federal officers at Tom Jobim International Airport, that cost the government $148 million in uncollected duties, reports terra.com.

Rio's International Airport (photo: visitriodejaneirobrasil.com)

Bus Passengers Robbed in Downtown Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Passengers riding a bus serving the Castelo-Maricá line in downtown Rio de Janeiro were robbed by two armed men who took over the bus late Wednesday night, reported terra.com.

Bus in Rio (photo: volkswagenag.com)

Brazil US Together Monitoringing Chávez

WikiLeaks report shows Washington and Brasilia worked together to check Hugo Chavez admissions

As more and more WikiLeaks cables get released, the Brazilian-U.S. diplomatic relationship has become increasingly illuminated. Though somewhat wary of each other, Washington and Brasilia sometimes saw eye to eye on matters of geopolitical importance.

Artists Denounce Museum Security After Thefts

House of Culture Ivan Morocco in Rondonia Valdalized

PORTO VELHO, Brazil – Artists are denouncing security at the House of Culture Ivan Morocco museum in Rondônia's capital city, Porto Velho. Vandals have damaged some of the works desplayed in the museum and artists say others have been stolen, according to a story on portalamazonia.com.

New Boats for Riverfront School Kids

Vessels to Transport Children Living Along the Amazon River to School

MANAUS, Brazil – Forty new boats to be used for transporting students to and from public school are expected to be delivered on Thursday. The boats, which hold up to 20 people each, will serve students and schools along the capitol's waterfront up and down the Amazon and Negro Rivers, reported PortalAmazonia.com.

Loan Sharks Arrested in Campo Grande

Brazil News

| RIO DE JANEIRO – Police arrested three men accused of loansharking out of a storefront offices in the Campo Grande neighborhood in the western zone of Rio de Janeiro. The criminals were caught in three offices strung along Coronal Augustine Street, reported terra.com.

Campo Grande, RJ (photo: imganuncios.mitula.net)

Teacher Cited for Performing Oral Sex

What an Education! Teacher Cited and Released

BREJO SANTO, Brazil – Military Police in the state of Cereá have cited a school teacher for performing oral sex in public. The incident, involving a 25 year old teacher and a 17 year old student, occurred around 3 am Monday morning in Brejo Santo, a small town near the state capital, Paraíba, reports terra.com.

Rio Declares State of Alert for Dengue Fever

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – At risk for the worst dengue outbreak ever in the fast-approaching South American summer, the city of Rio de Janeiro has declared a state of alert that will allow health workers to enter closed or abandoned buildings, reported terra.com.

aedes aegypti mosquito (photo: entm.purdue.edu)

Brazil Conducts Nuclear Drill at Angra

RIO DE JANEIRO – Military and civilian officials are conducting a nuclear disaster drill at the Angra Nuclear Power Plant complex in conjunction with the municipality of Angra dos Reis in southern Rio de Janeiro state, reported terra.com.

Angra dos Reis (photo: mercopress.com)

Gravediggers Strike in Sao Paulo

SAO PAULO – Municipal gravediggers seeking higher wages in the city of São Paulo began striking on Tuesday delaying funerals by up to 11 hours, reported O Globo online.

Araca Cemetary Sao Paulo Brazil (photo: panoramio.com)

Public Oral Sex Lands Couple in Jail

CURITIBA, Parana – A couple was detained Tuesday night in the northern part of Paraná state for engaging in oral sex in the middle of Topázio Street at about 10 pm, according to the Military Police. When police arrived on the scene and asked what was going on they were ignored by the couple who continued in the act without stopping, reported terra.com.

Rolândia, Paraná Brazil (photo: José Carlos Farina)

Girl Found Alive After Reported Death

Brazil News

| RIO DE JANEIRO – A nine-year-old girl was shot the head while playing with her father's gun in the Piraquê favela, or slum, in the western section of Rio de Janeiro Tuesday morning. The girl had originally been reported dead by the Military Police but was later found to be alive in the Miguel Cuoto Hospital in Leblon after being revived by doctors there, reported ultimosegundo.com.

Handgun Firing (photo: anorak.co.uk)

New Rail Coaches on the Way from China

Commuter Rail Coaches for SuperVia in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The first of 34 new railroad passenger coaches ordered by the government of Rio de Janeiro for the SuperVia commuter railway have been shipped from the Chinese port of Dalian and are expected to arrive by September 20th. The new coaches were manufactured by the China National Machinery group for a total of $263 million U.S., reported terra.com.

Kid Gang Uses Toy Machine Gun to Rob

Four Children Ages 14 to 16 Arrested

SAO PAULO – Police have taken four children between the ages of 14 and 16 into custody for a number of robberies in the Morumbi neighborhood in the southern part of the City of São Paulo, reported O Globo.

Kid Under Arrest (photo: flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera)

Luxury Car Theft Ring Busted: Sao Paulo

SAO PAULO – A Gang which stole and modified luxury cars, offering for resale U.S. $100,000 vehicles for as low as $8,000 has been broken up in São Paulo, police said. The police operation resulted in the arrest of 11 of the 14 gang members identified during the operation, reported O Globo.

Luxury Cars (photo: gpluxuryrental.com)

Watching 9/11 from Brazil

Yahoo! is asking Americans how September 11 changed them. Below is an account from a reader.

On Sept. 11, 2001, we were watching TV at home in Brazil. Antonio da Costa Santos, the mayor of our city of Campinas in the state of Sao Paulo, had been killed the day before. "Toninho do PT," as we called him, had been elected with about 60 percent of the votes cast and was doing a great job.

Read complete account on yahoo!

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Brazilian online news source for this article: yahoo.com

Latest Update on Rio Trolley Tragedy

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The railroad workers Union will create a commission to monitor the work of the two governmental agencies now charged with investigating the August 27th accident which sent one of the world famous Santa Teresa trams careening fifty meters down Juaquim Murtinho street where the coach was sheered off the chassis when the tram derailed and hit a retaining wall, killing 5 and wounding 55, reported O Globo on Monday.

Arrested Minutes After Turning 18

Busted Selling Cocaine

JUNDAÍ, Brazil – On Friday night Jundaí police arrested a man for trafficking cocaine ten minutes after he turned 18 years old, reported the temmais.com website.

18th Birthday (photo: birthdayvariety.net)

Serving 100 Years He Dies Digging Out

Tunnel Started Under His Prison Cell Toilet

SAO PAULO – An inmate serving a 100 year sentance for multiple robberies was found dead on Sunday in a unfinished tunel under his cell at the state prison in Avaré, reported the temmais.com website.

Another Evangelical Church Robbed

Second Evangelical Church Robbery this Week

SAO PAULO – Another evangelical church was robbed on Saturday in Várzea Paulista. This time bandits took electronics from the faithful as well as the church. Police said that the two armed men entered the church, announced the robbery and proceded to take a plasma TV, two laptops and mobile phones.

This is a Robbery! (photo: luizberto.com)

Organized Crime in Minas Gerais

Operação Garimpo resulted in the arrest of eight members of a specialized gang

BELO HORIZONTE, Minas Gerais – The Civil Police have arrested eight members of a specialized organized crime gang that specialized in stealing jewelery operating out of the Barreiro area of the capitol city of Minas Gerais state, reported terra.com.br on Monday.

Belo Horizonte (photo: dwgt.net)

Fake Doctor Treating Women in Goiania

Brazil News

| GOIANIA, Brazil - The Military Police in Goiás have arrested a man posing as a doctor in the Emergency Hospital Goiânia, said a spokesman for the hospital on Sunday. Police said that he was working in a women's reception ward.

Emergency Hospital Goiania (photo: routenews.com.br)

Bail Set for Porn Star Arrested in Car Theft Ring

CAMPO GRANDE, Brazil – A judge in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul has granted bail to the porn actress Juliana Novaes Cardoso de Assis, 32, known professionally as Julia Fontanelli, who has been jailed since August 10th after being caught in a car with a modified chassis number and tampered documents coming from Paraguay, reported O Dia Online.

Julia Fontanelli, who claimed she acted in more than 200 adult films, has denied involvement in the criminal enterprise.

Bail was set at $2,000 dollars by Judge Wilson Leite Correa of the Fourth Criminal Court of Campo Grande on Tuesday and includes Erick Feliciano Batista, 33, suspected of being a member of the First Capital Command gang (PCC) who was in the car with the porn actress when it was stopped by police after a high-speed chase along the BR-163 Highway from Paraguay.

According to police, the arrests fit the pattern used by car thieves from São Paulo who take stolen vehicles to Paraguay where the chassis numbers are modified and false documents are obtained. The cars are then brought back into Brazil.

A spokesman for the State Specialized Police Repression of Vehicle Theft (DEFURV) unit, the actress was accompanying the driver and was complicit in the crime. The actress swor at her bail hearing that she only went to Paraguay “just to go shopping” and was unaware that the car had been stolen.

”It is an ordinary scheme. Gangs steal cars and take then from São Paulo to Paraguay to get “hot documents,” said the DEFURV spokesman, Alberto Viera Rossi. The CCP member arrested with Juliana, who has prior convictions for fraud and receiving stolen property, claimed during police interrogation that he bought the car in the capital and was given legitimate paperwork—an claim rejected by police.

Police were surprised to learn the profession of Julia Fontanelli. “We learned of her profession when we were taking her to the Women's Penitentiary. She told us what she did in detail. According to her, more than 200 films,” said the spokesman.

Police said that 20 vehicles with the same illegalities have been seized in Motto Grosso do Sul so far in 2011. In Paraguay, criminal gangs are able to get the vehicle id numbers changed and false documents made.

Campo Grande is the state capital of Moto Grosso do Sul in the Center-West region of Brazil. The city, population 787,204 according to a 2010 census, is the Western Brazilian Army Headquartersand is an important military center.

Today, the city has its own culture, which is a mixture of several ethnic groups, most notably immigrants from the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, Middle Easterners, Armenians, Portuguese people, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, and Paraguayans, finally mixed with Asian and White Brazilians from the Brazilian Southern and Southeast regions, its native Amerindian peoples and Afro-Brazilians.

Due to its geographic position, Campo Grande is a major smuggling center in southern Brazil.

City of God Drug Lord Busted As He Slept

UPP Takes Down 17-year-old Trafficker as He Slept with his Mistriss

RIO DE JANEIRO - Urban Pacification Police or UPP stationed in the City of God slum in Rio de Janeiro, made famous in the 2002 movie of the same name, arrested a 17-year-old early Sunday morning. The young man, accused by police of being a drug lord, was caught with 26 rocks of crack cocaine wrapped in paper emblazoned with the images of the Vasco da Gama soccer team crest on one side, and soccer star Juninho on the other.

City of God (photo: foreignstudents.com)

Update on Rio de Janeiro Trolley Tragedy

Fifty-five now said to be injured

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - A preliminary investigation into the tragic trolley accident in Rio de Janeiro Saturday, which killed five people and wounded 55 more, reveals that the tragedy was the result of several issues, reported terra.com.br on Sunday.