News in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Soccer and Diplomacy at the G-8

By Juliana Tafur, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO – During a meeting at the sidelines of the G-8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and U.S. President Barack Obama discussed climate change, politics and diplomacy. Brazil was invited to the three-day summit of the “great eight” as a member of the G-5, a group of fast developing countries, which …

Obama’s New Man in Brazil

By Karen Shishiptorova, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO – The last vestige of the Bush era in Brazil clung on for four solid months of Obama’s presidency. Clifford M. Sobel, nominated by President Bush on May 23, 2006, continued his ambassadorship to the country until May 27, when Obama announced his pick for the post.

Thomas A. Shannon has been put forward, and now …

NGO Sending Favela Teens to US

By Juliana Tafur, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO – It’s summertime in the United States and in Chester, Connecticut, one the most prestigious youth leadership camps is currently underway. Gilvan Silva de Oliveira de Aragzo and Jhonatan Sales Cordeiro are two of the three international students in the program. They are Cariocas from the Terra Encantada favela (Enchanted Land slum), to be exact.

The boys were selected as part of a program ran …

Fluminense and Botafogo Fall in Serie A

By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO – Both Fluminense and Botafogo now occupy positions in the bottom four while Flamengo is holding on to seventh position with a solid 2 x 2 draw away to Sao Paulo in round ten of the Brasileirao. Fluminense suffered a shock 0 x 1 home defeat to newcomers Santo Andre and dropped into eighteenth, one place behind Botafogo who secured their second win …