A cement staircase in a trendy district of this Brazilian metropolis serves as a memorial to a slain Rio de Janeiro city councillor and rights activists and a vehicle for artists looking to carry on her struggle.

The staircase features a large photograph of Marielle Franco, an Afro-Brazilian lesbian and charismatic champion of the rights of black women, the LGBTI community and other marginalized people in Rio.

It also has served in recent days as a place for Afro-Brazilian and lesbian artists to display their own work after local authorities painted over an earlier mural there in honour of Franco, who was shot and killed along with her driver on March 14, 2018.

The murder of the 38-year-old Franco, an Afro-Brazilian lesbian who grew up in one of Rio's toughest neighbourhoods and was a vocal critic of killings by police and para-police death squads known as militias, remains unsolved nearly a year later.

But the militias, which usually include serving and former police officers, are suspected of having played a part in what rights organizations have called a targeted assassination.

The so-called "Escadão Marielle Franco" (Marielle Stairs) in the Pinheiros district dates to just six days after the activist's murder when the Casadalapa artists' collective placed a four-by-three meter photograph of Franco on the stairs and several graffiti artists began putting up their own designs around it.

But according to one of those artists, Patricia Bonane, local residents learned just a few months after the memorial was inaugurated that the city government was planning to carry out a reform of the staircase that included re-painting all of its walls.

The project also was to require the eviction of a married couple and a man who has been living under the stairs for eight years.

But "social pressure" succeeded in halting the eviction, according to Bonane, who said the activists had to take on the role of security guards to keep watch over those people's residences.

Despite that small victory, city authorities eventually covered the mural with grey paint at the end of last year; however, they left the photo of Marielle and some inscriptions around it due to pressure from local residents, Bonane said.

Asked by EFE about the decision to paint over the mural, the Sao Paulo city government replied that the action was a "structural reform" aimed at "improving pedestrians' safety."

With the staircase once again unadorned, the Casadelapa collective contacted a group of female graffiti artists to resume the artistic project, but the response was not what they had in mind.

"Most (of the women) were white and not marginalized," said one of the artists, Maria Luiza Meneses, who stressed the need to "subvert the established order" and provide space for those who normally do not have a voice: "black or indigenous women, the marginalized population and lesbians."

Graffiti art also is "a hierarchical world" in the sense that "only those with the money to buy material can paint," the art history student said, adding that "it's black women who still have the worst jobs."

And even when a new list of artists was created, black women had the most difficulty participating because "they worked on Saturdays, lived further away or couldn't leave their children," Meneses said.

In the discussions surrounding the design of the mural, she said some of the white female artists complained that the new system was fraught with a "victim mentality" and "segregation."

This underscored the need for debate, according to Meneses. 
"It's not easy to recognize that one has privileges" and that it's necessary to "review our behaviour."

The young artist commented while resting at the foot of her still-unfinished work, one of the different portraits of Franco that adorn the walls of the staircase and which are surrounded by floral motifs and colourful slogans and signs.

They include a well-known phrase uttered by Franco: "I will not be interrupted."

A cement staircase in a trendy district of this Brazilian metropolis serves as a memorial to a slain Rio de Janeiro city councillor and rights activists and a vehicle for artists looking to carry on her struggle.

A cement staircase in a trendy district of this Brazilian metropolis serves as a memorial to a slain Rio de Janeiro city councillor and rights activists and a vehicle for artists looking to carry on her struggle. The staircase features a large photograph of Marielle Franco, an Afro-Brazilian lesbian and charismatic champion of the rights of black women, the LGBTI community and other marginalized people in Rio. It also has served in recent days as a place for Afro-Brazilian and lesbian artists to display their own work after local authorities painted over an earlier mural there in honour of Franco, who was shot and killed along with her driver on March 14, 2018. The murder of the 38-year-old Franco, an Afro-Brazilian lesbian who grew up in one of Rio's toughest neighbourhoods and was a vocal critic of killings by police and para-police death squads known as militias, remains unsolved nearly a year later. But the militias, which usually include serving and former police officers, are suspected of having played a part in what rights organizations have called a targeted assassination. The so-called "Escadão Marielle Franco" (Marielle Stairs) in the Pinheiros district dates to just six days after the activist's murder when the Casadalapa artists' collective placed a four-by-three meter photograph of Franco on the stairs and several graffiti artists began putting up their own designs around it. But according to one of those artists, Patricia Bonane, local residents learned just a few months after the memorial was inaugurated that the city government was planning to carry out a reform of the staircase that included re-painting all of its walls. The project also was to require the eviction of a married couple and a man who has been living under the stairs for eight years. But "social pressure" succeeded in halting the eviction, according to Bonane, who said the activists had to take on the role of security guards to keep watch over those people's residences. Despite that small victory, city authorities eventually covered the mural with grey paint at the end of last year; however, they left the photo of Marielle and some inscriptions around it due to pressure from local residents, Bonane said. Asked by EFE about the decision to paint over the mural, the Sao Paulo city government replied that the action was a "structural reform" aimed at "improving pedestrians' safety." With the staircase once again unadorned, the Casadelapa collective contacted a group of female graffiti artists to resume the artistic project, but the response was not what they had in mind. "Most (of the women) were white and not marginalized," said one of the artists, Maria Luiza Meneses, who stressed the need to "subvert the established order" and provide space for those who normally do not have a voice: "black or indigenous women, the marginalized population and lesbians." Graffiti art also is "a hierarchical world" in the sense that "only those with the money to buy material can paint," the art history student said, adding that "it's black women who still have the worst jobs." And even when a new list of artists was created, black women had the most difficulty participating because "they worked on Saturdays, lived further away or couldn't leave their children," Meneses said. In the discussions surrounding the design of the mural, she said some of the white female artists complained that the new system was fraught with a "victim mentality" and "segregation." This underscored the need for debate, according to Meneses. "It's not easy to recognize that one has privileges" and that it's necessary to "review our behaviour." The young artist commented while resting at the foot of her still-unfinished work, one of the different portraits of Franco that adorn the walls of the staircase and which are surrounded by floral motifs and colourful slogans and signs. They include a well-known phrase uttered by Franco: "I will not be interrupted."

Afro-Brazilian artists carry on slain activist Marielle Franco's struggle

Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho used to train in the Flamengo's training centre where a fire tragically killed players aged between 14 and 16 years old on Friday.&nbsp;

Brazilian football was in mourning after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fire-in-brazil-kills-at-least-10-in-flamengo-youth-football-facility-196065">10 people died</a> when the fire ripped through a youth training facility at the country's most popular club, Flamengo.&nbsp;

Flamengo chief executive Reinaldo Belotti said, "I just wanted to remind everybody that that training ground (Ninho do Urubu) was used by several professional Flamengo teams, also well-known players like Ronaldinho Gaucho, Vagner Love and the Brazilian Olympic team used it too.&nbsp;

Flamengo defended its management of the training ground as Belotti said, "Flamengo did a maintenance checking in all air conditioning units. We have this documented for anyone who would like to see it."&nbsp;

Belotti said that the club is working closely with authorities 'to clarify what happened'.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mums-call-saved-me-15-year-old-had-narrow-escape-from-brazils-flamengo-fire-196268">Mum's call saved me: 15-year-old had&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mums-call-saved-me-15-year-old-had-narrow-escape-from-brazils-flamengo-fire-196268">narrow</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mums-call-saved-me-15-year-old-had-narrow-escape-from-brazils-flamengo-fire-196268">&nbsp;escape from Brazil's Flamengo fire</a>

The blaze ripped through sleeping quarters at the Ninho do Urubu complex in western Rio de Janeiro.&nbsp;

With questions being raised over licensing, Belotti stated to journalists: "we are not talking about a 'puxadinho' (illegal building), we are talking about a proper training ground."&nbsp;

There were reports that stated that Rio de Janeiro's city hall has fined Flamengo 31 times because of infractions at the Ninho do Urubu training ground, which had to be closed in October 2017.&nbsp;

However, The club did not pay 21 of those fines and the current permit issued for the grounds is valid until 8th March.&nbsp;

Family members and fans of Rio de Janeiro football club Flamengo placed flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the club's training centre on Saturday.&nbsp;

Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho used to train in the Flamengo's training centre where a fire tragically killed players aged between 14 and 16 years old on Friday.

Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho used to train in the Flamengo's training centre where a fire tragically killed players aged between 14 and 16 years old on Friday. Brazilian football was in mourning after 10 people died when the fire ripped through a youth training facility at the country's most popular club, Flamengo. Flamengo chief executive Reinaldo Belotti said, "I just wanted to remind everybody that that training ground (Ninho do Urubu) was used by several professional Flamengo teams, also well-known players like Ronaldinho Gaucho, Vagner Love and the Brazilian Olympic team used it too. Flamengo defended its management of the training ground as Belotti said, "Flamengo did a maintenance checking in all air conditioning units. We have this documented for anyone who would like to see it." Belotti said that the club is working closely with authorities 'to clarify what happened'. Also Read: Mum's call saved me: 15-year-old had narrow escape from Brazil's Flamengo fire The blaze ripped through sleeping quarters at the Ninho do Urubu complex in western Rio de Janeiro. With questions being raised over licensing, Belotti stated to journalists: "we are not talking about a 'puxadinho' (illegal building), we are talking about a proper training ground." There were reports that stated that Rio de Janeiro's city hall has fined Flamengo 31 times because of infractions at the Ninho do Urubu training ground, which had to be closed in October 2017. However, The club did not pay 21 of those fines and the current permit issued for the grounds is valid until 8th March. Family members and fans of Rio de Janeiro football club Flamengo placed flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the club's training centre on Saturday.

Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho trained in Flamengo's ground where fatal fire killed 10

Brazilian authorities have detected a series of suspicious cash transfers amounting to around $30,000 into the bank account of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/brazilian-president-jair-bolsonaro-has-got-the-environmentalists-worried-188740">President Jair Bolsonaro</a>'s eldest son, according to a report.

The exclusive report aired Friday on Jornal Nacional, Brazil's most respected newscast, said that 48 deposits of 2,000 reais each were deposited into the bank account of Senator-elect Flavio Bolsonaro between June and July 2017, when he was a Rio de Janeiro state lawmaker.

That totals to 96,000 reais or about $30,000 at the average exchange rate of that year.

A Council for Financial Activities Control (COAF) document quoted in the report said the origin of the money was unclear, but the fact that they were all of the same amounts and made at a bank at Rio's state legislative assembly, where <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaro-loosens-gun-laws-in-murder-ridden-brazil-190671">Bolsonaro worked</a>, made them suspicious.

The news broke a day after Brazil's supreme court temporarily suspended a probe into transactions in the bank account of Flavio Bolsonaro's driver, Fabricio Queiroz, which totalled $300,000 — an amount deemed suspicious because it does not appear to be commensurate with his income.

One of the transfers was a deposit of $6,400 into the account of Michelle Bolsonaro, the president's wife.

Flavio Bolsonaro and Queiroz both deny any wrongdoing.&nbsp;

In a television interview late December, Quieroz denied acting as a front for the Bolsonaros and said the money came from side businesses he ran, "buying cars, selling cars."

The president has tried to downplay the affair, saying that if any "mistake" was made it would be "paid." He said the payment from Quieroz's account to his wife was partial repayment of an undeclared loan he had made to his son's driver.

The stories are hugely embarrassing for Bolsonaro, who swept to power zero tolerance for corruption and vowed to end years of political graft that damaged his country's reputation.

The exclusive report aired Friday on Jornal Nacional, said that 48 deposits of 2,000 reais each were deposited into the bank account of Senator-elect Flavio Bolsonaro between June and July 2017.

Brazilian authorities have detected a series of suspicious cash transfers amounting to around $30,000 into the bank account of President Jair Bolsonaro's eldest son, according to a report. The exclusive report aired Friday on Jornal Nacional, Brazil's most respected newscast, said that 48 deposits of 2,000 reais each were deposited into the bank account of Senator-elect Flavio Bolsonaro between June and July 2017, when he was a Rio de Janeiro state lawmaker. That totals to 96,000 reais or about $30,000 at the average exchange rate of that year. A Council for Financial Activities Control (COAF) document quoted in the report said the origin of the money was unclear, but the fact that they were all of the same amounts and made at a bank at Rio's state legislative assembly, where Bolsonaro worked, made them suspicious. The news broke a day after Brazil's supreme court temporarily suspended a probe into transactions in the bank account of Flavio Bolsonaro's driver, Fabricio Queiroz, which totalled $300,000 — an amount deemed suspicious because it does not appear to be commensurate with his income. One of the transfers was a deposit of $6,400 into the account of Michelle Bolsonaro, the president's wife. Flavio Bolsonaro and Queiroz both deny any wrongdoing. In a television interview late December, Quieroz denied acting as a front for the Bolsonaros and said the money came from side businesses he ran, "buying cars, selling cars." The president has tried to downplay the affair, saying that if any "mistake" was made it would be "paid." He said the payment from Quieroz's account to his wife was partial repayment of an undeclared loan he had made to his son's driver. The stories are hugely embarrassing for Bolsonaro, who swept to power zero tolerance for corruption and vowed to end years of political graft that damaged his country's reputation.

Suspicious deposits made to account of Brazil president's son: Report

The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezao, was arrested Thursday over allegations he received bribes as part of the sprawling "Car Wash" graft probe, according to Brazilian media.

The Globo News television channel showed live footage of federal police at the residence of the governor, who was having breakfast at the time and remains in his home in custody.

Pezao is accused of taking bribes when he was vice governor under Sergio Cabral, who is currently in prison after being sentenced to a cumulative 180 years for corruption.

The police also raided the Guanabara Palace, headquarters of Rio de Janeiro's government, searching for documents.

The Superior Court of Justice issued the arrest warrant based on the confession of Carlos Miranda, a former Cabral associate, who cooperated in exchange for a sentence reduction.

According to Miranda's testimony, Pezao would have received a monthly payment of 150,000 reais ($40,000) as well as end-of-the-year bonuses of up to one million reais.

The money would have been paid by companies and intermediaries bound by contracts with the Rio de Janeiro government during a period from 2007 to 2014.

The state of Rio de Janeiro is on the verge of bankruptcy and plagued by insecurity.

Wilson Witzel was elected in October to govern the state and is set to take office January 1.&nbsp;

The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezao, was arrested Thursday over allegations he received bribes as part of the sprawling "Car Wash" graft probe, according to Brazilian media.

The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezao, was arrested Thursday over allegations he received bribes as part of the sprawling "Car Wash" graft probe, according to Brazilian media. The Globo News television channel showed live footage of federal police at the residence of the governor, who was having breakfast at the time and remains in his home in custody. Pezao is accused of taking bribes when he was vice governor under Sergio Cabral, who is currently in prison after being sentenced to a cumulative 180 years for corruption. The police also raided the Guanabara Palace, headquarters of Rio de Janeiro's government, searching for documents. The Superior Court of Justice issued the arrest warrant based on the confession of Carlos Miranda, a former Cabral associate, who cooperated in exchange for a sentence reduction. According to Miranda's testimony, Pezao would have received a monthly payment of 150,000 reais ($40,000) as well as end-of-the-year bonuses of up to one million reais. The money would have been paid by companies and intermediaries bound by contracts with the Rio de Janeiro government during a period from 2007 to 2014. The state of Rio de Janeiro is on the verge of bankruptcy and plagued by insecurity. Wilson Witzel was elected in October to govern the state and is set to take office January 1.

Rio de Janeiro governor arrested on corruption charges: Report

At least ten people were killed in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday (November 10) morning after a landslide in the Niteroi area outside the city's downtown, officials reported.

According to rescuers, nine homes and a local business were affected by the landslide following days of heavy rain. 11 people have been rescued alive from the rubble, amongst them a baby. However, at least four people are still missing.

Emergency workers were notified of the landslide at just after 4am (0600am GMT).

Landslides are common in Rio de Janeiro. Many residents live in hilly areas of the state, often building homes without authorisation.

At least ten people were killed in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday (November 10) morning after a landslide in the Niteroi area outside the city's downtown, officials reported.

At least ten people were killed in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday (November 10) morning after a landslide in the Niteroi area outside the city's downtown, officials reported. According to rescuers, nine homes and a local business were affected by the landslide following days of heavy rain. 11 people have been rescued alive from the rubble, amongst them a baby. However, at least four people are still missing. Emergency workers were notified of the landslide at just after 4am (0600am GMT). Landslides are common in Rio de Janeiro. Many residents live in hilly areas of the state, often building homes without authorisation.

At least 10 dead in Brazil landslide

Brazil's election frontrunner and leftist icon Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in Saturday to start a 12-year sentence for corruption after a chaotic attempt by supporters to stop him from surrendering.

Surrounded by bodyguards, Lula had to push through a seething throng of supporters to get into a police vehicle outside the metalworkers' union building in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where he had been holed up for two days and nights.

Earlier, the same crowd had mobbed his car and forced him to retreat when he attempted to drive out. "Don't surrender! Stay here Lula!" they chanted.

Finally in custody, the 72-year-old was driven under escort to Sao Paulo police headquarters for a medical exam.

He was then flying by jet to the southern city of Curitiba, base for Brazil's gigantic "Car Wash" anti-corruption operation.

A jail cell with special conditions, including a hot private shower and toilet, awaited him.

The arrest ended four straight days of at times surreal drama as Lula -- president from 2003-2010 and once one of the world's most popular politicians -- tried to resist.

After his arrest, there were reports of fireworks and cheering in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and other cities among those who long considered Lula responsible for the tide of graft sweeping over Brazilian politics.

However, his supporters had tears at the exit of a man they remember for removing tens of millions of people from poverty and for connected with voters in a way few, if any, other modern Brazilian politicians have managed.

Despite his many legal problems, Lula remains the easy frontrunner ahead of October presidential elections and if he is unable to compete, as expected, the race will be thrown wide open.

Emotional end game

Lula was found guilty last year of taking a luxury apartment as a bribe from a construction company.&nbsp

He had been ordered to surrender to police by Friday but defiantly missed the deadline while shut up in the union building in Sao Bernardo do Campo.

In emotional scenes earlier Saturday, he emerged from the building to address the several thousand diehard supporters from his Workers' Party and other leftist organizations who had vowed to shield him from police.

In an hourlong speech, Lula called himself "an outraged citizen" over his conviction, saying that Brazil's top anti-corruption judge, Sergio Moro, "lied" about him being given the apartment by a big construction firm as a kickback.

"I am the only human being to be put on trial for an apartment that does not belong to me," he said.

Lula accused the judiciary and Brazil's most powerful media conglomerate of assisting a right-wing coup with the ultimate aim of preventing him from competing in the race.

"They don't want me to take part," he said. "Their obsession is to get a photo of Lula as a prisoner."

But, crucially, Lula said he would drop his dramatic show of resistance and comply with the arrest warrant.

After the speech, Lula was lifted onto the shoulders of supporters who chanted, "I am Lula."&nbsp

Feverish drama

Lula also faces multiple other court cases and is considered the biggest scalp so far for prosecutors at the "Car Wash" probe -- an unraveling of systemic bribery and embezzlement at the top echelons of Brazilian politics.

But he is also an outsized figure in recent Brazilian history and revered around the world among leftists. While president, he managed to build bridges with the center and oversaw a booming economy.

Ever since Wednesday, Lula and his supporters tried everything to delay the start of his prison sentence, battling everywhere from the Supreme Court to the streets.

The feverish political drama -- &nbspblending Lula's charismatic political style, the epic struggle against graft, and the fate of the October elections -- gripped Latin America's biggest nation.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was found guilty last year of taking a luxury apartment as a bribe from a construction company

Brazil's election frontrunner and leftist icon Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in Saturday to start a 12-year sentence for corruption after a chaotic attempt by supporters to stop him from surrendering. Surrounded by bodyguards, Lula had to push through a seething throng of supporters to get into a police vehicle outside the metalworkers' union building in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where he had been holed up for two days and nights. Earlier, the same crowd had mobbed his car and forced him to retreat when he attempted to drive out. "Don't surrender! Stay here Lula!" they chanted. Finally in custody, the 72-year-old was driven under escort to Sao Paulo police headquarters for a medical exam. He was then flying by jet to the southern city of Curitiba, base for Brazil's gigantic "Car Wash" anti-corruption operation. A jail cell with special conditions, including a hot private shower and toilet, awaited him. The arrest ended four straight days of at times surreal drama as Lula -- president from 2003-2010 and once one of the world's most popular politicians -- tried to resist. After his arrest, there were reports of fireworks and cheering in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and other cities among those who long considered Lula responsible for the tide of graft sweeping over Brazilian politics. However, his supporters had tears at the exit of a man they remember for removing tens of millions of people from poverty and for connected with voters in a way few, if any, other modern Brazilian politicians have managed. Despite his many legal problems, Lula remains the easy frontrunner ahead of October presidential elections and if he is unable to compete, as expected, the race will be thrown wide open. Emotional end game Lula was found guilty last year of taking a luxury apartment as a bribe from a construction company. He had been ordered to surrender to police by Friday but defiantly missed the deadline while shut up in the union building in Sao Bernardo do Campo. In emotional scenes earlier Saturday, he emerged from the building to address the several thousand diehard supporters from his Workers' Party and other leftist organizations who had vowed to shield him from police. In an hourlong speech, Lula called himself "an outraged citizen" over his conviction, saying that Brazil's top anti-corruption judge, Sergio Moro, "lied" about him being given the apartment by a big construction firm as a kickback. "I am the only human being to be put on trial for an apartment that does not belong to me," he said. Lula accused the judiciary and Brazil's most powerful media conglomerate of assisting a right-wing coup with the ultimate aim of preventing him from competing in the race. "They don't want me to take part," he said. "Their obsession is to get a photo of Lula as a prisoner." But, crucially, Lula said he would drop his dramatic show of resistance and comply with the arrest warrant. After the speech, Lula was lifted onto the shoulders of supporters who chanted, "I am Lula." Feverish drama Lula also faces multiple other court cases and is considered the biggest scalp so far for prosecutors at the "Car Wash" probe -- an unraveling of systemic bribery and embezzlement at the top echelons of Brazilian politics. But he is also an outsized figure in recent Brazilian history and revered around the world among leftists. While president, he managed to build bridges with the center and oversaw a booming economy. Ever since Wednesday, Lula and his supporters tried everything to delay the start of his prison sentence, battling everywhere from the Supreme Court to the streets. The feverish political drama -- &nbspblending Lula's charismatic political style, the epic struggle against graft, and the fate of the October elections -- gripped Latin America's biggest nation.

Brazil's Lula surrenders to serve prison sentence

Brazil&#39;s President Michel Temer defiantly refused to step down Thursday after being put under investigation for allegedly authorising payment of hush money to a politician imprisoned for corruption.

&quot;I will not resign. I repeat: I will not resign,&quot; he announced angrily, wagging his finger, in a brief televised statement to the nation.

Several thousand people demonstrated in Rio de Janeiro, shouting &quot;Temer out!&quot; while about 2,000 held a similar rally in the capital Brasilia. Both protests ended in minor clashes with riot police.

Around 24 hours after a report in O Globo newspaper revealed that Temer had been caught on tape allegedly agreeing to bribe former speaker of the lower house Eduardo Cunha, he already faced eight formal requests for his impeachment.

There were also signs that his ruling center-right coalition was in danger, with some allies calling for his resignation. The culture minister, Roberto Freire, resigned and there were indications that the urban affairs minister would follow.

The Supreme Court piled on the pressure by greenlighting a formal investigation into Temer.

Despite all the calls for his head, the veteran center-right politician -- who took over last year after the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff -- came out swinging.

Temer highlighted signs this week that Brazil&#39;s two-year recession is coming to an end and claimed that &quot;optimism was returning&quot; thanks to a program of austerity reforms that he is trying to pass in Congress.

Now &quot;those efforts may come to nothing,&quot; he warned, calling for a &quot;full and very rapid&quot; investigation at the Supreme Court.

Popular anger

It remained unclear whether Temer&#39;s defiance will be enough, with cracks growing in the ruling coalition, which is centered on Temer&#39;s PMDB party and the PSDB Social Democrats, along with a coalition of smaller parties.

Earlier, a PSDB leader, Ricardo Tripoli, told AFP that &quot;if the evidence is confirmed, then we will ask our (ministers) to leave the government.&quot;

The Sao Paulo stock market reacted in panic to the specter of Brazil losing its second president in just over 12 months.&nbsp;

The Bovespa index crashed more than 10 percent after opening, triggering an automatic suspension of trading for 30 minutes. It closed 8.8 percent down.

Investors have been counting on Temer pushing through the austerity reforms, which include a raising of the minimum retirement age, so that Brazil&#39;s bloated public finances can be brought under control.

The measures are unpopular with most Brazilians, however, and Temer can expect little backing from the streets.

&quot;As a Brazilian citizen I am obliged to demand our president&#39;s resignation and direct elections so that Brazil can decide its future,&quot; said history professor Jose Vicente, 51, who was at the Rio protest.

&#39;Under control&#39;

The scandal started with Globo&#39;s report late Wednesday that Temer had been secretly recorded while talking to Joesley Batista, an executive from the meatpacking giant JBS, on March 7.

On the tape, which was made public Thursday, Batista told Temer that he was paying money every month to Cunha &quot;to keep things under control&quot; and Temer replied: &quot;You need to keep doing that, OK?&quot;

The conversation, which was provided to prosecutors as part of a plea bargain with Batista, is now evidence with the Supreme Court. It has been interpreted as referring to bribes given to Cunha to make sure that he didn&#39;t spill secrets to prosecutors himself.

In his statement Thursday, Temer angrily responded: &quot;I never bought anyone&#39;s silence.&quot;

A separate secret recording made by Batista allegedly caught Senator Aecio Neves, head of the PSDB party and a close Temer ally, asking him for a bribe of two million reais, or around $600,000.

Globo published what seemed to be pictures showing men delivering a suitcase of cash for Neves, who was suspended Thursday from his position.

Presidential immunity

The scandal is the latest shockwave from the wider &quot;Car Wash&quot; graft probe ripping through Brazilian politics, involving vast bribes and embezzlement.

Until now Temer has managed to stay above the fray, enjoying presidential immunity for alleged crimes prior to his mandate.

However, the hush money claims date from well within his time in office and the Supreme Court probe puts him in the firing line.

If he resigns he would no longer have his case handled by the Supreme Court, but be moved to what are seen as far more aggressive, quicker-acting lower courts.

If he stays, Congress could launch impeachment proceedings but that would depend on him losing his base.

&quot;That&#39;s why today the main question is to know whether the parties that form the government&#39;s base will leave,&quot; said Thomaz Pereira, constitutional law professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio. 
&nbsp;

(AFP)

Several thousand people demonstrated in Rio de Janeiro, shouting 'Temer out!' while about 2,000 held a similar rally in the capital Brasilia

Brazil's President Michel Temer defiantly refused to step down Thursday after being put under investigation for allegedly authorising payment of hush money to a politician imprisoned for corruption. "I will not resign. I repeat: I will not resign," he announced angrily, wagging his finger, in a brief televised statement to the nation. Several thousand people demonstrated in Rio de Janeiro, shouting "Temer out!" while about 2,000 held a similar rally in the capital Brasilia. Both protests ended in minor clashes with riot police. Around 24 hours after a report in O Globo newspaper revealed that Temer had been caught on tape allegedly agreeing to bribe former speaker of the lower house Eduardo Cunha, he already faced eight formal requests for his impeachment. There were also signs that his ruling center-right coalition was in danger, with some allies calling for his resignation. The culture minister, Roberto Freire, resigned and there were indications that the urban affairs minister would follow. The Supreme Court piled on the pressure by greenlighting a formal investigation into Temer. Despite all the calls for his head, the veteran center-right politician -- who took over last year after the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff -- came out swinging. Temer highlighted signs this week that Brazil's two-year recession is coming to an end and claimed that "optimism was returning" thanks to a program of austerity reforms that he is trying to pass in Congress. Now "those efforts may come to nothing," he warned, calling for a "full and very rapid" investigation at the Supreme Court. Popular anger It remained unclear whether Temer's defiance will be enough, with cracks growing in the ruling coalition, which is centered on Temer's PMDB party and the PSDB Social Democrats, along with a coalition of smaller parties. Earlier, a PSDB leader, Ricardo Tripoli, told AFP that "if the evidence is confirmed, then we will ask our (ministers) to leave the government." The Sao Paulo stock market reacted in panic to the specter of Brazil losing its second president in just over 12 months. The Bovespa index crashed more than 10 percent after opening, triggering an automatic suspension of trading for 30 minutes. It closed 8.8 percent down. Investors have been counting on Temer pushing through the austerity reforms, which include a raising of the minimum retirement age, so that Brazil's bloated public finances can be brought under control. The measures are unpopular with most Brazilians, however, and Temer can expect little backing from the streets. "As a Brazilian citizen I am obliged to demand our president's resignation and direct elections so that Brazil can decide its future," said history professor Jose Vicente, 51, who was at the Rio protest. 'Under control' The scandal started with Globo's report late Wednesday that Temer had been secretly recorded while talking to Joesley Batista, an executive from the meatpacking giant JBS, on March 7. On the tape, which was made public Thursday, Batista told Temer that he was paying money every month to Cunha "to keep things under control" and Temer replied: "You need to keep doing that, OK?" The conversation, which was provided to prosecutors as part of a plea bargain with Batista, is now evidence with the Supreme Court. It has been interpreted as referring to bribes given to Cunha to make sure that he didn't spill secrets to prosecutors himself. In his statement Thursday, Temer angrily responded: "I never bought anyone's silence." A separate secret recording made by Batista allegedly caught Senator Aecio Neves, head of the PSDB party and a close Temer ally, asking him for a bribe of two million reais, or around $600,000. Globo published what seemed to be pictures showing men delivering a suitcase of cash for Neves, who was suspended Thursday from his position. Presidential immunity The scandal is the latest shockwave from the wider "Car Wash" graft probe ripping through Brazilian politics, involving vast bribes and embezzlement. Until now Temer has managed to stay above the fray, enjoying presidential immunity for alleged crimes prior to his mandate. However, the hush money claims date from well within his time in office and the Supreme Court probe puts him in the firing line. If he resigns he would no longer have his case handled by the Supreme Court, but be moved to what are seen as far more aggressive, quicker-acting lower courts. If he stays, Congress could launch impeachment proceedings but that would depend on him losing his base. "That's why today the main question is to know whether the parties that form the government's base will leave," said Thomaz Pereira, constitutional law professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio. (AFP)

Brazil President Temer put under investigation, refuses to quit

Greece&#39;s ambassador to Brazil was murdered in a &quot;crime of passion&quot; plot hatched by his Brazilian wife and her police officer lover, who confessed to the crime, officials said Friday.

The envoy, Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was murdered on Monday by the officer, Sergio Gomez Moreira, the chief of Rio&#39;s homicide division, Evaristo Pontes Magalhaes, told a news conference.

Amiridis&#39; charred body was found Thursday in Rio in his burned-out rental car, a day after his wife, Francoise de Souza Oliveira, declared him missing.

(AFP)

Officer Sergio Gomez Moreirar confessed to killing Kyriakos Amiridis, whose body was found in Rio in his burned-out rental car

Greece's ambassador to Brazil was murdered in a "crime of passion" plot hatched by his Brazilian wife and her police officer lover, who confessed to the crime, officials said Friday. The envoy, Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was murdered on Monday by the officer, Sergio Gomez Moreira, the chief of Rio's homicide division, Evaristo Pontes Magalhaes, told a news conference. Amiridis' charred body was found Thursday in Rio in his burned-out rental car, a day after his wife, Francoise de Souza Oliveira, declared him missing. (AFP)

Greek ambassador to Brazil murdered by wife's cop lover

Blocked toilets, dangerous wiring and other problems in Rio&#39;s Olympic Village will be resolved by the end of the week, Brazilian organisers said yesterday as new reports of glitches emerged. 
 
A day after the Australian Olympic delegation refused to move into the apartment complex in western Rio, Brazilian organising committee spokesman Mario Andrada promised a solution. 
 
&quot;We have 630 men working to fix the problems at the Olympic Village,&quot; Andrada said in comments tweeted by the government&#39;s Olympic account. 
 
&quot;They should complete the impeccable handover of the Village by the end of the week, probably by Thursday,&quot; he said. 
 
This indicated a longer timetable than suggested by the honorary mayor of the Village, former Brazilian Olympian Janeth Arcain, who said on Sunday that the work would take only 48 hours. 
 
However, the Australian team, which has made the most high-profile complaints, struck an optimistic note, noting &quot;fantastic&quot; progress and saying that athletes should be able to move in on Wednesday. 
 
Delays often occur in the final run-up to staging the Olympics, but Brazilian organisers have been embarrassed by a barrage of multiple problems as they prepare for South America&#39;s first Games. 
 
Battered by bad news over the Zika virus, heavy pollution in the Olympic sailing and rowing areas and rampant armed crime across Rio, mayor Eduardo Paes has frequently found himself on the defensive. 
 
Paes reacted to the Australian complaints on Sunday by quipping that he should perhaps put &quot;a kangaroo in front of their building to make them feel at home.&quot; 
 
Earlier this month, he responded to one voter critical of Rio&#39;s transformation by telling him to &quot;move.&quot; 
 
&#39;Get stuck in&#39; 
 
Australia said on Sunday it would delay taking up residence in the Village, a development of 31 new buildings next to the Olympic Park that will house some 18,000 athletes and other team members during the Games starting August 5. 
 
&quot;Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed and dirty floors in need of a massive clean,&quot; the head of the Australian team, Kitty Chiller, said in a statement. 
 
During a test involving taps and toilets being turned on in apartments on several floors, &quot;water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was &#39;shorting&#39; in the electrical wiring.&quot; 
 
Chiller later told reporters that this was the worst Olympic Village she&#39;d seen in five Games. 
 
However on Monday, Chiller told reporters there had been &quot;fantastic progress today.&quot; 
 
&quot;The workers that were with us today have been absolutely really good. They&#39;ve been working very hard, they&#39;re very skilled and we&#39;re very, very happy with the progress, so looking like according to our plan, we will be able to move everybody on Wednesday,&quot; she said. 
 
Although several delegations have already expressed satisfaction with their residence, reports emerged on Monday of fresh grumbling. 
 
The head of Argentina&#39;s Olympic committee, Gerardo Werthein, was quoted by Clarin daily saying that out of five floors reserved for the country, &quot;two are not habitable&quot; and that his team had sought alternative lodging. 
 
&quot;The apartments are completed on the outside, but when we tested them, we found problems with plumbing and electricity,&quot; he said. &quot;Rio said it will finish this, but we can&#39;t take any risk.&quot; 
 
Italy has contracted its own team of workers to finish off the building work, Brazil has complained of leaks on the ground floor, while Mexico&#39;s team has encountered ceiling leaks and blocked drains, Globo news site reported. 
 
New Zealand&#39;s team said Monday that it was &quot;disappointed the Village wasn&#39;t as ready as it might have been,&quot; but that its advance party had overcome the problems. 
 
&quot;Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done,&quot; a statement said. 
 
(AFP)

Australian Olympic delegation had refused to move into an apartment complex in Rio, complaining of blocked toilets and exposed wiring

Blocked toilets, dangerous wiring and other problems in Rio's Olympic Village will be resolved by the end of the week, Brazilian organisers said yesterday as new reports of glitches emerged. A day after the Australian Olympic delegation refused to move into the apartment complex in western Rio, Brazilian organising committee spokesman Mario Andrada promised a solution. "We have 630 men working to fix the problems at the Olympic Village," Andrada said in comments tweeted by the government's Olympic account. "They should complete the impeccable handover of the Village by the end of the week, probably by Thursday," he said. This indicated a longer timetable than suggested by the honorary mayor of the Village, former Brazilian Olympian Janeth Arcain, who said on Sunday that the work would take only 48 hours. However, the Australian team, which has made the most high-profile complaints, struck an optimistic note, noting "fantastic" progress and saying that athletes should be able to move in on Wednesday. Delays often occur in the final run-up to staging the Olympics, but Brazilian organisers have been embarrassed by a barrage of multiple problems as they prepare for South America's first Games. Battered by bad news over the Zika virus, heavy pollution in the Olympic sailing and rowing areas and rampant armed crime across Rio, mayor Eduardo Paes has frequently found himself on the defensive. Paes reacted to the Australian complaints on Sunday by quipping that he should perhaps put "a kangaroo in front of their building to make them feel at home." Earlier this month, he responded to one voter critical of Rio's transformation by telling him to "move." 'Get stuck in' Australia said on Sunday it would delay taking up residence in the Village, a development of 31 new buildings next to the Olympic Park that will house some 18,000 athletes and other team members during the Games starting August 5. "Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed and dirty floors in need of a massive clean," the head of the Australian team, Kitty Chiller, said in a statement. During a test involving taps and toilets being turned on in apartments on several floors, "water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was 'shorting' in the electrical wiring." Chiller later told reporters that this was the worst Olympic Village she'd seen in five Games. However on Monday, Chiller told reporters there had been "fantastic progress today." "The workers that were with us today have been absolutely really good. They've been working very hard, they're very skilled and we're very, very happy with the progress, so looking like according to our plan, we will be able to move everybody on Wednesday," she said. Although several delegations have already expressed satisfaction with their residence, reports emerged on Monday of fresh grumbling. The head of Argentina's Olympic committee, Gerardo Werthein, was quoted by Clarin daily saying that out of five floors reserved for the country, "two are not habitable" and that his team had sought alternative lodging. "The apartments are completed on the outside, but when we tested them, we found problems with plumbing and electricity," he said. "Rio said it will finish this, but we can't take any risk." Italy has contracted its own team of workers to finish off the building work, Brazil has complained of leaks on the ground floor, while Mexico's team has encountered ceiling leaks and blocked drains, Globo news site reported. New Zealand's team said Monday that it was "disappointed the Village wasn't as ready as it might have been," but that its advance party had overcome the problems. "Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done," a statement said. (AFP)

Rio organising committee promise repairs of Olympic Village by end of week

The International Olympic Committee today barred Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko and other ministry officials from attending the Rio Games after the revelation of a state-run doping system. 
 
&quot;The IOC will not grant any accreditation to any official of the Russian Ministry of sport or any person implicated in the (independent) report for the Games of the Olympiad Rio 2016,&quot; said an IOC statement. 
 
An independent inquiry commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said the Russian sports ministry organised a state-dictated failsafe system of cheating by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics and other major events hosted by Russia. 
Deputy sports minister Yury Nagornykh is among officials to have been suspended by the Kremlin since the report was released on Monday. 
 
The International Olympic Committee today also that said it will study &quot;legal options&quot; on banning all Russian athletes from the Rio Games and also ordered a disciplinary commission to look into the role of Russian officials in a state-run doping system. 
 
The IOC executive held emergency telephone talks after a WADA commissioned report said there had been state-sanctioned doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and other major events. 
 
The IOC &quot;will explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice&quot;, said a statement. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;In this respect, the IOC will have to take the CAS decision on July 21 2016 concerning the IAAF rules into consideration, as well as the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Charter.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

IOC will not grant any accreditation to any Russian sport ministry official or any person implicated in the WADA report

The International Olympic Committee today barred Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko and other ministry officials from attending the Rio Games after the revelation of a state-run doping system. "The IOC will not grant any accreditation to any official of the Russian Ministry of sport or any person implicated in the (independent) report for the Games of the Olympiad Rio 2016," said an IOC statement. An independent inquiry commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said the Russian sports ministry organised a state-dictated failsafe system of cheating by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics and other major events hosted by Russia. Deputy sports minister Yury Nagornykh is among officials to have been suspended by the Kremlin since the report was released on Monday. The International Olympic Committee today also that said it will study "legal options" on banning all Russian athletes from the Rio Games and also ordered a disciplinary commission to look into the role of Russian officials in a state-run doping system. The IOC executive held emergency telephone talks after a WADA commissioned report said there had been state-sanctioned doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and other major events. The IOC "will explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice", said a statement. "In this respect, the IOC will have to take the CAS decision on July 21 2016 concerning the IAAF rules into consideration, as well as the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Charter." (AFP)

IOC bars Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko from Rio Olympics

The International Olympic Committee said that Russian doping cover-ups confirmed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) today showed a &quot;shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and the Olympic Games&quot;, and that it would not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions. 
 
An independent report commissioned by WADA confirmed extraordinary systematic abuse of the anti-doping process across many sports by Russian authorities before and during the Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi in 2014. 
 
In a statement, IOC President Thomas Bach said the IOC &quot;will now carefully study the complex and detailed allegations in particular with regard to the Russian ministry of sport&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The findings of the report show a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and on the Olympic Games,&quot; he said. &quot;Therefore, the IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions available against any individual or organisation implicated.&quot; 
 
The IOC executive board will hold a telephone conference on Tuesday to take its first decisions, which could include provisional measures and sanctions regarding the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next month, the IOC said. 
 
Last week, Bach indicated that a total ban on Russia competing in Rio was unlikely, saying, &quot;It is obvious you cannot sanction a badminton player for an infringement of the rules by an official or a lab director at the Winter Games.&quot; 
 
However, in the light of Monday&#39;s report, with a wide group of sports bodies now calling for a blanket ban, a broad sanction could now be on the cards. 
 
Russia&#39;s track and field athletes are already banned, as are its weightlifters, subject to confirmation of positive dope tests from samples given in 2008 and 2012. 
 
(Reuters)

World Anti-Doping Agency today confirmed manipulation of the anti-doping process by Russian authorities at Sochi Olympics in 2014

The International Olympic Committee said that Russian doping cover-ups confirmed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) today showed a "shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and the Olympic Games", and that it would not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions. An independent report commissioned by WADA confirmed extraordinary systematic abuse of the anti-doping process across many sports by Russian authorities before and during the Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi in 2014. In a statement, IOC President Thomas Bach said the IOC "will now carefully study the complex and detailed allegations in particular with regard to the Russian ministry of sport". "The findings of the report show a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and on the Olympic Games," he said. "Therefore, the IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions available against any individual or organisation implicated." The IOC executive board will hold a telephone conference on Tuesday to take its first decisions, which could include provisional measures and sanctions regarding the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next month, the IOC said. Last week, Bach indicated that a total ban on Russia competing in Rio was unlikely, saying, "It is obvious you cannot sanction a badminton player for an infringement of the rules by an official or a lab director at the Winter Games." However, in the light of Monday's report, with a wide group of sports bodies now calling for a blanket ban, a broad sanction could now be on the cards. Russia's track and field athletes are already banned, as are its weightlifters, subject to confirmation of positive dope tests from samples given in 2008 and 2012. (Reuters)

International Olympic Committee will take 'toughest sanctions' over Sochi doping

Security at Rio&#39;s Olympic Village was handed a further blow on Wednesday when Danish athletes revealed they have had items stolen while organisers issued a public apology to competitors who have fallen victim to crime. 
 
Denmark&#39;s chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing. 
 
&quot;In connection with the many extra workers, cleaners and housekeepers who have been squeezed into the Olympic village because of our requirements and requests, we have been subjected to a series of thefts,&quot; he said, adding that he himself had his iPad stolen. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s everything from phones, iPads and clothes to something as trivial as bed sheets.&quot; 
 
Since July 18 the Danish delegation has lodged around 150 complaints over problems in its 36 apartments in the Olympic village. 
 
&quot;The buildings are simply not in order,&quot; Ulrik Wilbek, sports director of the Danish Handball Federation, told TV 2. 
 
The news follows the theft of a laptop and team shirts from the Australian delegation during a fire evacuation on Friday. 
 
Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said during the evacuation she had noticed three fire marshals apparently stealing the Australia team shirts. 
 
&quot;When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals -- I don&#39;t know who they were -- walking out with team shirts,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;I thought maybe they have helped evacuate people and we&#39;ve given them a shirt. It doesn&#39;t seem to be what happened. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t know how many team shirts were taken and, yes, that&#39;s concerning.&quot; 
 
After the fire, Chiller said Rio 2016 organizers had increased security throughout the Olympic village. 
 
Rio&#39;s crime rate has been one of the biggest concerns heading into the Olympics. 
 
China revealed on Friday members of its Olympic delegation had already fallen victim to theft. 
 
Mario Andrada, spokesman of Rio 2016, apologised to the tourists and athletes who have been victims. 
 
&quot;They are our guests in Brazil. We feel very sorry. I hope they understand that we are very sorry about this,&quot; he told China&#39;s Xinhua news agency. 
 
&quot;We will communicate with the security to make sure we find quickly an answer about why they were robbed, where they were robbed and by whom to see if something could be recovered.&quot; 
 
Rio Olympics overall security personnel is around 88,000 - the figure is more than double that used for the the London Olympics in 2012. 
 
&quot;Don&#39;t count money in the street. If you have a nice camera, put it into a bag and only use when you have to take pictures,&quot; advised Andrada. 
 
&quot;If you are alert, if you are looking around and paying attention, your chance of being a victim will be decreased. The bad guys usually look for people who are not paying attention.&quot; 
 
Chiller said the vast size of the Olympic Village, which houses thousands of athletes and support staff, theft was &quot;inevitable&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

Denmark's chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing

Security at Rio's Olympic Village was handed a further blow on Wednesday when Danish athletes revealed they have had items stolen while organisers issued a public apology to competitors who have fallen victim to crime. Denmark's chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing. "In connection with the many extra workers, cleaners and housekeepers who have been squeezed into the Olympic village because of our requirements and requests, we have been subjected to a series of thefts," he said, adding that he himself had his iPad stolen. "It's everything from phones, iPads and clothes to something as trivial as bed sheets." Since July 18 the Danish delegation has lodged around 150 complaints over problems in its 36 apartments in the Olympic village. "The buildings are simply not in order," Ulrik Wilbek, sports director of the Danish Handball Federation, told TV 2. The news follows the theft of a laptop and team shirts from the Australian delegation during a fire evacuation on Friday. Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said during the evacuation she had noticed three fire marshals apparently stealing the Australia team shirts. "When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals -- I don't know who they were -- walking out with team shirts," she said. "I thought maybe they have helped evacuate people and we've given them a shirt. It doesn't seem to be what happened. "We don't know how many team shirts were taken and, yes, that's concerning." After the fire, Chiller said Rio 2016 organizers had increased security throughout the Olympic village. Rio's crime rate has been one of the biggest concerns heading into the Olympics. China revealed on Friday members of its Olympic delegation had already fallen victim to theft. Mario Andrada, spokesman of Rio 2016, apologised to the tourists and athletes who have been victims. "They are our guests in Brazil. We feel very sorry. I hope they understand that we are very sorry about this," he told China's Xinhua news agency. "We will communicate with the security to make sure we find quickly an answer about why they were robbed, where they were robbed and by whom to see if something could be recovered." Rio Olympics overall security personnel is around 88,000 - the figure is more than double that used for the the London Olympics in 2012. "Don't count money in the street. If you have a nice camera, put it into a bag and only use when you have to take pictures," advised Andrada. "If you are alert, if you are looking around and paying attention, your chance of being a victim will be decreased. The bad guys usually look for people who are not paying attention." Chiller said the vast size of the Olympic Village, which houses thousands of athletes and support staff, theft was "inevitable". (AFP)

Olympics: Rio sorry as Village suffers new theft

Armed police and security personnel are patrolling Olympic venues and streets in Rio de Janeiro as Brazil tightens security with the 2016 Summer Olympic Games just around the corner. 
 
In addition to the increased security presence, vendors who usually sell beverages and snacks have been banned from working during the games due to the safety concerns. Only those who are officially authorised can trade in designated areas. 
 
According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in Olympic venues, and all personal items must go through security checks. 
 
&quot;I feel very good about that [security measures] because there was a lot of fear about the Olympic Games, about all the things happening in Europe, in the United States. And I feel more secure with police here and all the security here. I feel better,&quot; said Melanie, an Argentine tourist. 
 
During the games, the Brazilian federal police, army and air force, as well as Rio police officers, will work together to patrol all venues, stadiums and related areas 24/7. 
 
The enhanced security measures have been hailed by those covering and competing in the Olympics. 
 
&quot;You never know all the stuff going outside here, but I don&#39;t feel any danger right now,&quot; said Michal Gasiorowski, a Polish reporter. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t have any fears, I feel pretty secure,&quot; said Alexander Choupenitch, a Czech foil fencer. 
 
(Reuters)

According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in venues and all personal items must go through security checks

Armed police and security personnel are patrolling Olympic venues and streets in Rio de Janeiro as Brazil tightens security with the 2016 Summer Olympic Games just around the corner. In addition to the increased security presence, vendors who usually sell beverages and snacks have been banned from working during the games due to the safety concerns. Only those who are officially authorised can trade in designated areas. According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in Olympic venues, and all personal items must go through security checks. "I feel very good about that [security measures] because there was a lot of fear about the Olympic Games, about all the things happening in Europe, in the United States. And I feel more secure with police here and all the security here. I feel better," said Melanie, an Argentine tourist. During the games, the Brazilian federal police, army and air force, as well as Rio police officers, will work together to patrol all venues, stadiums and related areas 24/7. The enhanced security measures have been hailed by those covering and competing in the Olympics. "You never know all the stuff going outside here, but I don't feel any danger right now," said Michal Gasiorowski, a Polish reporter. "I don't have any fears, I feel pretty secure," said Alexander Choupenitch, a Czech foil fencer. (Reuters)

Brazil steps up security arrangements ahead of Rio Olympics 2016

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will display Brazilian creativity to the world, the ceremony&#39;s executive producer Marco Balich said on Thursday, just one day before the official opening of the Games. 
 
Balich said that although its organizers come from around the globe, the curtain-raiser and its creative elements will show the world a wonderful Brazil from various aspects. 
 
&quot;There was no problem between a strong international team supporting and all Brazilian creativity. So what you are going to see is all Brazilian, pure, beautiful creativity from Brazil that will touch the heart,&quot; the Italian producer said at a press conference. 
 
The opening ceremony has three themes: the garden, diversity and joy, according to organizers. 
 
The limited space in the opening ceremony&#39;s venue, Maracana Stadium, meant organizers had to overcome many challenges to ensure they could present a wonderful event. 
 
&quot;The entrance of the Maracana Stadium is less than two meters high. The stadium is a football stadium, not a track and field stadium, and there is no track in it. So the stadium is relatively small and the stage is also small. Our budget is less than what we expected, but we are used to such things. It is important to be flexible,&quot; said Daniela Thomas, a director of the opening ceremony. 
 
The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today.Some 21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London&#39;s outlay four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

According to organisers, the opening ceremony has three themes, the garden, diversity and joy

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will display Brazilian creativity to the world, the ceremony's executive producer Marco Balich said on Thursday, just one day before the official opening of the Games. Balich said that although its organizers come from around the globe, the curtain-raiser and its creative elements will show the world a wonderful Brazil from various aspects. "There was no problem between a strong international team supporting and all Brazilian creativity. So what you are going to see is all Brazilian, pure, beautiful creativity from Brazil that will touch the heart," the Italian producer said at a press conference. The opening ceremony has three themes: the garden, diversity and joy, according to organizers. The limited space in the opening ceremony's venue, Maracana Stadium, meant organizers had to overcome many challenges to ensure they could present a wonderful event. "The entrance of the Maracana Stadium is less than two meters high. The stadium is a football stadium, not a track and field stadium, and there is no track in it. So the stadium is relatively small and the stage is also small. Our budget is less than what we expected, but we are used to such things. It is important to be flexible," said Daniela Thomas, a director of the opening ceremony. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today.Some 21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London's outlay four years ago. (Reuters)

Rio set for 'all Brazilian' Olympic opening ceremony: Organisers

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia&#39;s Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. 
 
Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. 
 
&quot;I think they&#39;ve got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they&#39;ve had but, you know what, on the day, I think they&#39;ll deliver,&quot; said John Beadle from London. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool,&quot; said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. 
 
&quot;I think Rio will pull it off and I&#39;m hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it&#39;s going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we&#39;re going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can,&quot; added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. 
 
The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London&#39;s outlay four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

The Rio Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million were spent on the show, about half of what London spent 4 years ago

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia's Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. "I think they've got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they've had but, you know what, on the day, I think they'll deliver," said John Beadle from London. "I'm really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool," said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. "I think Rio will pull it off and I'm hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it's going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we're going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can," added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London's outlay four years ago. (Reuters)

Sydney Opera House lights up in green and gold

American&nbsp;teenager Virginia&nbsp;Thrasher&nbsp;won the&nbsp;first&nbsp;gold&nbsp;medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic&nbsp;Games today, holding her nerve against two Chinese Olympic champions to clinch the women&#39;s 10m air rifle event.

The 19-year-old&nbsp;American&nbsp;edged out China&#39;s Du Li,&nbsp;gold&nbsp;in Athens in 2004, with an Olympic-record score of 208. Defending Olympic champion Yi Siling, also of China, took the bronze medal.

Thrasher&nbsp;was awarded the&nbsp;first&nbsp;gold&nbsp;of the&nbsp;Games&nbsp;by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

Competing in her&nbsp;first&nbsp;Olympics,&nbsp;Thrasher&nbsp;established an early lead after battling with the Russian shooter Daria Vdovina, who stumbled midway through the competition and finished fifth. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

American Thrasher edged out China's Du Li with an Olympic-record score of 208

American teenager Virginia Thrasher won the first gold medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games today, holding her nerve against two Chinese Olympic champions to clinch the women's 10m air rifle event. The 19-year-old American edged out China's Du Li, gold in Athens in 2004, with an Olympic-record score of 208. Defending Olympic champion Yi Siling, also of China, took the bronze medal. Thrasher was awarded the first gold of the Games by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. Competing in her first Olympics, Thrasher established an early lead after battling with the Russian shooter Daria Vdovina, who stumbled midway through the competition and finished fifth. (Reuters)

Virginia Thrasher wins first gold of Games

A Moroccan Olympic boxer was arrested today on allegations he sexually assaulted two Brazilian housekeepers in the Olympic Village. 
 
Police said the possible attacks by Hassan Saada happened on Wednesday. The women filed a report this week, saying the 22-year-old boxer asked them to go to his room, then restrained and fondled them, chief investigator Carolina Salomao said. 
 
&quot;They were cleaning the room right across his, and he assaulted them. He groped the breast of one of them and touched the other woman&#39;s thigh. They were able to get out,&quot; Salomao said. 
 
The detective said Saada shared the room with two other athletes, but was alone at the time of the alleged assault. Saada will be jailed for 15 days while they investigate. Under Brazilian law, suspects can be held for a long period while a case is examined. 
 
Police originally said in a statement the man had raped the housekeepers, but the investigator said it was a sexual assault. It&#39;s not clear what charges he is facing. 
 
Saada, a light heavyweight boxer, was scheduled to fight in the preliminary rounds on Saturday against Mehmet Nadir of Turkey. Saada was not predicted to be a medal contender. 
 
The International Boxing Association, which runs the Olympic boxing tournament, said it has &quot;taken note of the serious allegations.&quot; 
 
&quot;We understand that the situation is being dealt with by the local Brazilian authorities and have complete confidence that they will handle the matter appropriately,&quot; federation spokesman Nicolas Jomard said in a statement. 
 
Olympic organisers said they are aware of the case and investigation. Calls and email messages left with the Moroccan Embassy in Rio de Janeiro were not immediately returned. 
 
(AP)

Police originally said in a statement the man had raped the housekeepers, but the investigator said it was a sexual assault

A Moroccan Olympic boxer was arrested today on allegations he sexually assaulted two Brazilian housekeepers in the Olympic Village. Police said the possible attacks by Hassan Saada happened on Wednesday. The women filed a report this week, saying the 22-year-old boxer asked them to go to his room, then restrained and fondled them, chief investigator Carolina Salomao said. "They were cleaning the room right across his, and he assaulted them. He groped the breast of one of them and touched the other woman's thigh. They were able to get out," Salomao said. The detective said Saada shared the room with two other athletes, but was alone at the time of the alleged assault. Saada will be jailed for 15 days while they investigate. Under Brazilian law, suspects can be held for a long period while a case is examined. Police originally said in a statement the man had raped the housekeepers, but the investigator said it was a sexual assault. It's not clear what charges he is facing. Saada, a light heavyweight boxer, was scheduled to fight in the preliminary rounds on Saturday against Mehmet Nadir of Turkey. Saada was not predicted to be a medal contender. The International Boxing Association, which runs the Olympic boxing tournament, said it has "taken note of the serious allegations." "We understand that the situation is being dealt with by the local Brazilian authorities and have complete confidence that they will handle the matter appropriately," federation spokesman Nicolas Jomard said in a statement. Olympic organisers said they are aware of the case and investigation. Calls and email messages left with the Moroccan Embassy in Rio de Janeiro were not immediately returned. (AP)

Rio police arrest Moroccan boxer on sexual assault allegation

Brazil&#39;s athletes were not subject to dope tests for almost a month before the Rio Olympics, the country&#39;s sports ministry has said while refuting allegations it was a political decision to ensure the games were not plunged further into crisis. 
 
Brazil&#39;s sports ministry confirmed no tests were carried out between July 1 and July 24 due to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspension on a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, The Times reported today. 
 
WADA said it was &quot;concerned&quot; and has sent a letter to Brazil&#39;s sports minister asking why the tests had been stopped. 
 
&quot;We sent a letter to the minister of sport and the executive director of the Brazilian national anti-doping agency, pressing our concerns and demanding to know why testing had been stopped in Brazil,&quot; WADA deputy director Rob Koehler told the newspaper. 
 
&quot;The response was not satisfactory... the explanation that it had come about due to the changing of the guard in the ministry and the agency was not acceptable to us. 
 
&quot;We informed the pre-Games task force and we told them to ramp up increased tests. It was unacceptable that it stopped. That was not a good move... the fact no testing was happening was a concern.&quot; 
 
South America&#39;s first Olympics have been mired in a drugs scandal with Russia&#39;s track-and-field athletes and weightlifters barred from the Rio Games over doping offences. 
 
The European country narrowly avoided a complete ban over allegations its government and FSB security service systematically covered up widespread cheating. 
 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose not to impose a blanket ban on all Russian athletes but directed sports federations to allow them to compete if they met a set of criteria, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events. 
 
Faced pressure from ministry, alleges Horta&nbsp; 
 
Luis Horta, the former head of Portugal&#39;s anti-doping agency who was given a role as an adviser to Brazil, alleged he faced pressure from the country&#39;s sports ministry and Olympic committee to reduce testing. 
 
A statement from Brazil&#39;s sports ministry refuted the allegations, while adding that three overseas laboratories were approached but were unable to help with the testing of samples. 
 
&quot;The Ministry of Sport and the Brazilian Doping Control Authority strongly refute the accusations made by Mr Horta,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;With the suspension imposed by WADA to the laboratory on June 22, the tests planned for the period between 1 and 24 July were compromised (the suspension was only lifted on July 20), as analyses could not be submitted. 
 
&quot;Therefore, the planned tests ended up not being done in that period.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

'Brazil's sports ministry confirmed no tests were carried out between July 1 and July 24 due to a WADA suspension on drug testing lab'

Brazil's athletes were not subject to dope tests for almost a month before the Rio Olympics, the country's sports ministry has said while refuting allegations it was a political decision to ensure the games were not plunged further into crisis. Brazil's sports ministry confirmed no tests were carried out between July 1 and July 24 due to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspension on a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, The Times reported today. WADA said it was "concerned" and has sent a letter to Brazil's sports minister asking why the tests had been stopped. "We sent a letter to the minister of sport and the executive director of the Brazilian national anti-doping agency, pressing our concerns and demanding to know why testing had been stopped in Brazil," WADA deputy director Rob Koehler told the newspaper. "The response was not satisfactory... the explanation that it had come about due to the changing of the guard in the ministry and the agency was not acceptable to us. "We informed the pre-Games task force and we told them to ramp up increased tests. It was unacceptable that it stopped. That was not a good move... the fact no testing was happening was a concern." South America's first Olympics have been mired in a drugs scandal with Russia's track-and-field athletes and weightlifters barred from the Rio Games over doping offences. The European country narrowly avoided a complete ban over allegations its government and FSB security service systematically covered up widespread cheating. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose not to impose a blanket ban on all Russian athletes but directed sports federations to allow them to compete if they met a set of criteria, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events. Faced pressure from ministry, alleges Horta Luis Horta, the former head of Portugal's anti-doping agency who was given a role as an adviser to Brazil, alleged he faced pressure from the country's sports ministry and Olympic committee to reduce testing. A statement from Brazil's sports ministry refuted the allegations, while adding that three overseas laboratories were approached but were unable to help with the testing of samples. "The Ministry of Sport and the Brazilian Doping Control Authority strongly refute the accusations made by Mr Horta," it said. "With the suspension imposed by WADA to the laboratory on June 22, the tests planned for the period between 1 and 24 July were compromised (the suspension was only lifted on July 20), as analyses could not be submitted. "Therefore, the planned tests ended up not being done in that period." (Reuters)

WADA questions why athletes were not dope-tested ahead of Rio 2016

Brazil fired Dunga as coach on Tuesday, the national football confederation (CBF) said, two days after his side failed to get past the group stages of the Centenary Copa America. 
 
The Brazilians drew 0-0 with Ecuador and beat Haiti 7-1 but were beaten 1-0 by Peru to exit the competition at the group stages for the first time since 1987. 
 
Dunga, who was in his second spell as Brazil coach, was fired after a meeting at the CBF in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
&quot;The Brazilian Football Confederation decided this Tuesday to dissolve the technical commission of the Brazilian national team,&quot; the CBF said in a short statement. 
 
&quot;National teams coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, coach Dunga and their entire team will leave their posts. 
 
&quot;The CBF has began the process of choosing a new technical commission for the Brazilian team.&quot; 
 
The overwhelming favourite to become Brazil&#39;s new coach is Corinthians 55-year-old manager Tite. 
 
The new man will also be charged with leading the under-23 squad in August&#39;s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the only major tournament Brazil have never won. 
 
Tite led Sao Paulo&#39;s biggest club to Brazil&#39;s Serie A title in 2011 and 2015 as well as the Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup for the first time in 2012. 
 
Dunga had never coached until he was first hired as Brazil boss in 2006. He led them to the Copa America in Venezuela in his first major tournament the following year. 
 
He was fired in 2010, immediately after Brazil were eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarter-final stage of that year&#39;s World Cup. 
 
After coaching his boyhood club, Internacional, for a year in 2013, Dunga was a surprise choice to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari after Brazil&#39;s humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup. 
 
Dunga, who was captain of Brazil&#39;s 1994 World Cup winning side, was given the task of revamping the national set-up but his defensive style of play and curt manner won him few fans. 
 
Led by Barcelona striker Neymar, Brazil performed well in friendlies, but were knocked out of the 2015 Copa America at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay and, without several first-team players, they were poor again at this year&#39;s tournament in the United States.One of the main priorities for the new boss will be ensuring Brazil qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After a poor start, Brazil sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group. 
 
The top four teams qualify automatically for the tournament and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

This is the first time in 30 years that the South American powerhouse hasn't got past the first round

Brazil fired Dunga as coach on Tuesday, the national football confederation (CBF) said, two days after his side failed to get past the group stages of the Centenary Copa America. The Brazilians drew 0-0 with Ecuador and beat Haiti 7-1 but were beaten 1-0 by Peru to exit the competition at the group stages for the first time since 1987. Dunga, who was in his second spell as Brazil coach, was fired after a meeting at the CBF in Rio de Janeiro. "The Brazilian Football Confederation decided this Tuesday to dissolve the technical commission of the Brazilian national team," the CBF said in a short statement. "National teams coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, coach Dunga and their entire team will leave their posts. "The CBF has began the process of choosing a new technical commission for the Brazilian team." The overwhelming favourite to become Brazil's new coach is Corinthians 55-year-old manager Tite. The new man will also be charged with leading the under-23 squad in August's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the only major tournament Brazil have never won. Tite led Sao Paulo's biggest club to Brazil's Serie A title in 2011 and 2015 as well as the Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup for the first time in 2012. Dunga had never coached until he was first hired as Brazil boss in 2006. He led them to the Copa America in Venezuela in his first major tournament the following year. He was fired in 2010, immediately after Brazil were eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarter-final stage of that year's World Cup. After coaching his boyhood club, Internacional, for a year in 2013, Dunga was a surprise choice to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari after Brazil's humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup. Dunga, who was captain of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning side, was given the task of revamping the national set-up but his defensive style of play and curt manner won him few fans. Led by Barcelona striker Neymar, Brazil performed well in friendlies, but were knocked out of the 2015 Copa America at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay and, without several first-team players, they were poor again at this year's tournament in the United States.One of the main priorities for the new boss will be ensuring Brazil qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After a poor start, Brazil sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group. The top four teams qualify automatically for the tournament and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff. (Reuters)

Dunga gets the sack after Brazil fail to get past group stage

Brazil&#39;s Olympic coach Rogerio Micale called up midfielder Douglas Costa and goalkeeper Fernando Prass on Wednesday to join striker Neymar as the three players over the age of 23 to play with Brazil as they try to win Olympic gold at home at the 2016 Rio Olympics. 
 
Neymar, who was already named to the Olympic squad in a deal reached with Barcelona, is the biggest name on the list of 18 players Micale announced at the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF) headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Micale said he would not hesitate to reach out to Brazil&#39;s new head coach for the national team, Tite, as he steers his team through the Olympics. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s an honour, a joy to have &#39;Professor Tite&#39; on my side. I&#39;m not going to feel any kind of embarrassment leaning on his wisdom, all the soccer experiences he has seen, the victories he&#39;s had all this time. I want to be very close (to him), because whatever can be added right now will be good for my career,&quot; Micale said. 
 
Brazil are thirsty for a gold medal on their home turf after taking silver to Mexico at the London 2012 Games. 
 
Micale said he was forced to leave players he had hoped to count on out of the line-up after their clubs would not free them up for the Olympics, which are not part of the FIFA calendar for national teams. 
 
Micale said most the players on the squad are leaders at their clubs, both domestically and abroad, and that he is confident in his young team adding that they could take some pressure off of Neymar. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a player with a different kind of profile, an indisputable quality, one of the best players in the world. I think any coach from any national team in the world would like to be able to count on a player with a profile like his. But on the national team we try to add other leaders, we do have them, yes. I don&#39;t think we can put it all on one player even if he has all the qualities he represents in soccer throughout the world. And my expectations are that he will respond. I know how badly he wants a medal, just like the rest of us,&quot; Micale added. 
 
The 2016 Olympics will be Brazil&#39;s first official competition in Brazil since their failed 2014 World Cup in which they lost 7 to 1 to Germany in the semi-finals and then again to the Netherlands 3 to 0 in the third place match. 
 
Brazil will open their campaign in Group A against South Africa (Aug. 8, Brasilia), Iraq (Aug. 7, Brasilia) and Denmark (Aug. 10, Salvador). 
 
(Reuters)

2016 Olympics will be Brazil's first official competition in Brazil since their failed 2014 World Cup in which they lost 7 to 1 to Germany

Brazil's Olympic coach Rogerio Micale called up midfielder Douglas Costa and goalkeeper Fernando Prass on Wednesday to join striker Neymar as the three players over the age of 23 to play with Brazil as they try to win Olympic gold at home at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Neymar, who was already named to the Olympic squad in a deal reached with Barcelona, is the biggest name on the list of 18 players Micale announced at the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF) headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Micale said he would not hesitate to reach out to Brazil's new head coach for the national team, Tite, as he steers his team through the Olympics. "It's an honour, a joy to have 'Professor Tite' on my side. I'm not going to feel any kind of embarrassment leaning on his wisdom, all the soccer experiences he has seen, the victories he's had all this time. I want to be very close (to him), because whatever can be added right now will be good for my career," Micale said. Brazil are thirsty for a gold medal on their home turf after taking silver to Mexico at the London 2012 Games. Micale said he was forced to leave players he had hoped to count on out of the line-up after their clubs would not free them up for the Olympics, which are not part of the FIFA calendar for national teams. Micale said most the players on the squad are leaders at their clubs, both domestically and abroad, and that he is confident in his young team adding that they could take some pressure off of Neymar. "He's a player with a different kind of profile, an indisputable quality, one of the best players in the world. I think any coach from any national team in the world would like to be able to count on a player with a profile like his. But on the national team we try to add other leaders, we do have them, yes. I don't think we can put it all on one player even if he has all the qualities he represents in soccer throughout the world. And my expectations are that he will respond. I know how badly he wants a medal, just like the rest of us," Micale added. The 2016 Olympics will be Brazil's first official competition in Brazil since their failed 2014 World Cup in which they lost 7 to 1 to Germany in the semi-finals and then again to the Netherlands 3 to 0 in the third place match. Brazil will open their campaign in Group A against South Africa (Aug. 8, Brasilia), Iraq (Aug. 7, Brasilia) and Denmark (Aug. 10, Salvador). (Reuters)

Neymar, Douglas Costa named in Brazil's Olympic squad

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 18 gold medals among his career haul of 22, will carry the US flag in Friday&#39;s opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics. 
 
The US Olympic Committee said today that Phelps, who will be the first American male swimmer to compete at five Games, had been chosen in a vote of fellow team members to lead the delegation into the Maracana stadium. 
 
Phelps, who won eight of his golds in Beijing in 2008, is set to add to his haul in Rio with three individual events as well as relays. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m honoured to be chosen, proud to represent the US, and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for,&quot; said Phelps. 
 
&quot;For Sydney (in 2000), I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done. In London, I wanted to make history. 
 
&quot;And now, I want to walk in the Opening Ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, it&#39;s about so much more than medals.&quot; 
 
Taking part in the opening ceremony will mean a late night for Phelps on Friday, with the stadium at least an hour away from the Athletes Village in Barra, and plenty of standing around as well. 
 
The 31-year-old will not be in action on the opening Saturday, however, with his first event likely to be the men&#39;s 4x100 freestyle relay on Sunday. 
 
The US team have not announced their lineup for that event and Phelps is unlikely to take part in the afternoon heats, meaning he will make his competitive entry in the pool late in the evening if selected. 
 
(Reuters)

Phelps, who won eight of his golds in Beijing in 2008, is set to add to his haul in Rio with three individual events as well as relays

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 18 gold medals among his career haul of 22, will carry the US flag in Friday's opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics. The US Olympic Committee said today that Phelps, who will be the first American male swimmer to compete at five Games, had been chosen in a vote of fellow team members to lead the delegation into the Maracana stadium. Phelps, who won eight of his golds in Beijing in 2008, is set to add to his haul in Rio with three individual events as well as relays. "I'm honoured to be chosen, proud to represent the US, and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for," said Phelps. "For Sydney (in 2000), I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done. In London, I wanted to make history. "And now, I want to walk in the Opening Ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, it's about so much more than medals." Taking part in the opening ceremony will mean a late night for Phelps on Friday, with the stadium at least an hour away from the Athletes Village in Barra, and plenty of standing around as well. The 31-year-old will not be in action on the opening Saturday, however, with his first event likely to be the men's 4x100 freestyle relay on Sunday. The US team have not announced their lineup for that event and Phelps is unlikely to take part in the afternoon heats, meaning he will make his competitive entry in the pool late in the evening if selected. (Reuters)

Rio 2016: Michael Phelps chosen as US team flag bearer

Want an Olympic license plate, or a hand-embroidered Olympic handkerchief? 
 
How about Olympic cocaine? 
 
These and other products are among those being seized by Brazilian police in a crackdown on less-than-approved use of the five rings, mascots and other Olympic symbols ahead of the Games, which start in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. 
 
In a country where pirate versions of just about any product are as common as tropical fruit, Olympic organisers are battling a tide of bootleg goods sold and produced by those seeking to profit from the hype around the first-ever Games held in South America. 
 
&quot;These are opportunists,&quot; says Valeria Arag?o, a police inspector in charge of a 20-member counterfeit squad that in recent weeks has conducted raids across the city, confiscating all manner of ersatz Olympic goods.&nbsp;During one recent sting, she caught an elderly merchant, who had just embroidered &quot;Olympics 2016&quot; on a series of handkerchiefs, hanging one in her shop window. 
 
Narcotics police, meanwhile, in recent busts have even seized bricks of pressed marijuana and packets of cocaine that traffickers adorned with the Olympic rings. 
 
&quot;There are all sorts of people out there trading on something that has little to do with the spirit of sport or Olympic values,&quot; says Sylmara Multini, the director of licensing and retail for Rio 2016, as the organising committee is known. 
 
Money and sports 
 
The Olympics, of course, are as much about money as they are about sports. 
 
Officially, those who are supposed to get in on the action are sponsors and local partners that at present include major multinationals like Coca-Cola Co, McDonald&#39;s Corp and Banco Bradesco SA, a big Brazilian bank. 
 
Then there are licensees, who manufacture and sell the roughly 5,000 official trinkets, garments and souvenirs hawked by Rio 2016.&nbsp;Combined, revenues from those sources for Rio 2016 are expected to total almost $1 billion. 
 
But in Brazil, the black market is big business. Sales of pirate and counterfeit goods each year exceed well over $30 billion, according to estimates by various industries. 
 
It is not the first time Olympic authorities have wrestled with the problem. Officials in China, home to many black-market manufacturers, also fought counterfeiters before the 2008 Games in Beijing. 
 
Over the past week, the squad led by Arag?o raided souvenir stands at well-known tourist markets in the popular beachfront neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema. They seized over 2,300 items, ranging from pens and key chains to T-shirts and beach towels. 
 
&quot;People want to take advantage of an event like this, whether they know it&#39;s illegal or not,&quot; Arag?o says.&nbsp;Some of those caught in the dragnet are left scratching their heads. 
 
&quot;Rio 2016? How is that protected? It&#39;s just a word and a year,&quot; says Washington Valderrama, a vendor of souvenir license plates in Copacabana, who lost about $600 in revenue when the cops took 75 of them during a sting last week. 
 
&#39;Come back later&#39; 
 
A law passed in May of this year, complementing existing copyright legislation, specifically spells out protection for terms, in any language, including &quot;Rio 2016,&quot; &quot;Olympic Games,&quot; &quot;Rio Olympiad,&quot; and &quot;any other abbreviation or variation that could be created&quot;. 
 
In a giant white tent on the sands of Copacabana beach, the main drag for Rio tourism, Rio 2016 recently set up what they are calling a &quot;megastore&quot;. 
 
There, they peddle official merchandise including Olympic bikinis ($85), miniature metal replicas of the official torch ($170) and polyester ties peppered with green and yellow Olympic golf logos ($66). 
 
&quot;It&#39;s kind of pricey,&quot; says Cristian Krummenauer, a 38-year old visitor, eyeing a $40 red wine with an Olympic sailing logo bottled by a vintner near his hometown in southern Brazil. &quot;It&#39;s cheaper where I live, but it wouldn&#39;t have this nice label.&quot; 
 
A two minute walk up the shoreline, past a phony Spiderman posing for pictures and an Olympic-themed castle crafted by one of Copacabana&#39;s well-known sand sculptors, a street vendor touts garments folded across a large blanket. 
 
He offers one, a white polyester T-shirt emblazoned with Olympic rings, for about $9; one-third of the price of the official cotton version sold back at the &quot;megastore&quot;. 
 
As he launched into a pitch offering two for just $15, another peddler runs over and points: municipal guards, well-known to them as part of the crackdown, are headed their way. 
 
&quot;I gotta go,&quot; the vendor yelled, grabbing his blanket by the corners, snatching it into a bundle, and running off into the crowded beachfront. &quot;But come back later.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Olympic organisers battle a tide of bootleg goods sold and produced by those seeking to profit from the first-ever Games in South America

Want an Olympic license plate, or a hand-embroidered Olympic handkerchief? How about Olympic cocaine? These and other products are among those being seized by Brazilian police in a crackdown on less-than-approved use of the five rings, mascots and other Olympic symbols ahead of the Games, which start in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. In a country where pirate versions of just about any product are as common as tropical fruit, Olympic organisers are battling a tide of bootleg goods sold and produced by those seeking to profit from the hype around the first-ever Games held in South America. "These are opportunists," says Valeria Arag?o, a police inspector in charge of a 20-member counterfeit squad that in recent weeks has conducted raids across the city, confiscating all manner of ersatz Olympic goods. During one recent sting, she caught an elderly merchant, who had just embroidered "Olympics 2016" on a series of handkerchiefs, hanging one in her shop window. Narcotics police, meanwhile, in recent busts have even seized bricks of pressed marijuana and packets of cocaine that traffickers adorned with the Olympic rings. "There are all sorts of people out there trading on something that has little to do with the spirit of sport or Olympic values," says Sylmara Multini, the director of licensing and retail for Rio 2016, as the organising committee is known. Money and sports The Olympics, of course, are as much about money as they are about sports. Officially, those who are supposed to get in on the action are sponsors and local partners that at present include major multinationals like Coca-Cola Co, McDonald's Corp and Banco Bradesco SA, a big Brazilian bank. Then there are licensees, who manufacture and sell the roughly 5,000 official trinkets, garments and souvenirs hawked by Rio 2016. Combined, revenues from those sources for Rio 2016 are expected to total almost $1 billion. But in Brazil, the black market is big business. Sales of pirate and counterfeit goods each year exceed well over $30 billion, according to estimates by various industries. It is not the first time Olympic authorities have wrestled with the problem. Officials in China, home to many black-market manufacturers, also fought counterfeiters before the 2008 Games in Beijing. Over the past week, the squad led by Arag?o raided souvenir stands at well-known tourist markets in the popular beachfront neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema. They seized over 2,300 items, ranging from pens and key chains to T-shirts and beach towels. "People want to take advantage of an event like this, whether they know it's illegal or not," Arag?o says. Some of those caught in the dragnet are left scratching their heads. "Rio 2016? How is that protected? It's just a word and a year," says Washington Valderrama, a vendor of souvenir license plates in Copacabana, who lost about $600 in revenue when the cops took 75 of them during a sting last week. 'Come back later' A law passed in May of this year, complementing existing copyright legislation, specifically spells out protection for terms, in any language, including "Rio 2016," "Olympic Games," "Rio Olympiad," and "any other abbreviation or variation that could be created". In a giant white tent on the sands of Copacabana beach, the main drag for Rio tourism, Rio 2016 recently set up what they are calling a "megastore". There, they peddle official merchandise including Olympic bikinis ($85), miniature metal replicas of the official torch ($170) and polyester ties peppered with green and yellow Olympic golf logos ($66). "It's kind of pricey," says Cristian Krummenauer, a 38-year old visitor, eyeing a $40 red wine with an Olympic sailing logo bottled by a vintner near his hometown in southern Brazil. "It's cheaper where I live, but it wouldn't have this nice label." A two minute walk up the shoreline, past a phony Spiderman posing for pictures and an Olympic-themed castle crafted by one of Copacabana's well-known sand sculptors, a street vendor touts garments folded across a large blanket. He offers one, a white polyester T-shirt emblazoned with Olympic rings, for about $9; one-third of the price of the official cotton version sold back at the "megastore". As he launched into a pitch offering two for just $15, another peddler runs over and points: municipal guards, well-known to them as part of the crackdown, are headed their way. "I gotta go," the vendor yelled, grabbing his blanket by the corners, snatching it into a bundle, and running off into the crowded beachfront. "But come back later." (Reuters)

Brazil police crackdown on unlicensed Rio merchandise

Brazilian police in the state of Rio de Janeiro, which hosts the Olympics next month, have arrested a man with suspected ties to terrorist groups after monitoring his online activity, his lawyer said on Thursday. 
 
The lawyer, Edison Ferreira, said Chaer Kalaoun, 28, was detained by police in his home in the town of Nova Iguacu on allegations of posting apologies for Islamic State (IS) online. 
 
The lawyer strongly denied his client had any ties to terrorist groups. 
 
&quot;There has been no basic, complete nor definitive accusation, all we have are suspicions that posts on his Facebook linked to Islamic State, but there is nothing concrete in relation to him,&quot; said Ferreira. 
 
&quot;He has no link to Islamic State, so he has not be recruited, he is not bringing people over here, nor collaborating, nor incentivising Islamic State projects,&quot; he added. 
 
Federal police declined to comment. 
 
Ferreira said that police had also detained Kalaoun before Brazil hosted the World Cup in 2014 on charges of illegal possession of firearms. 
 
On July 21, Brazil arrested 10 people suspected of belonging to a poorly organized group that supports IS and discussing terrorist acts during the Olympic Games. 
 
It has subsequently detained two more suspects in the case. South America&#39;s first Olympics kick off on August 5 with some 500,000 visitors expected to travel to Brazil. 
 
Authorities are on high alert following attacks in France and Germany in recent weeks. 
 
(Reuters)

The 28-year old was detained over allegations of posting pro-IS posts on his Facebook

Brazilian police in the state of Rio de Janeiro, which hosts the Olympics next month, have arrested a man with suspected ties to terrorist groups after monitoring his online activity, his lawyer said on Thursday. The lawyer, Edison Ferreira, said Chaer Kalaoun, 28, was detained by police in his home in the town of Nova Iguacu on allegations of posting apologies for Islamic State (IS) online. The lawyer strongly denied his client had any ties to terrorist groups. "There has been no basic, complete nor definitive accusation, all we have are suspicions that posts on his Facebook linked to Islamic State, but there is nothing concrete in relation to him," said Ferreira. "He has no link to Islamic State, so he has not be recruited, he is not bringing people over here, nor collaborating, nor incentivising Islamic State projects," he added. Federal police declined to comment. Ferreira said that police had also detained Kalaoun before Brazil hosted the World Cup in 2014 on charges of illegal possession of firearms. On July 21, Brazil arrested 10 people suspected of belonging to a poorly organized group that supports IS and discussing terrorist acts during the Olympic Games. It has subsequently detained two more suspects in the case. South America's first Olympics kick off on August 5 with some 500,000 visitors expected to travel to Brazil. Authorities are on high alert following attacks in France and Germany in recent weeks. (Reuters)

Man suspected to have terrorist ties with Islamic State arrested in Rio de Janeiro

Yulia Stepanova, the key whistleblower in the Russian doping scandal, said on Thursday she is not a traitor to her country.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t consider myself a traitor as they portray me in Russia. I think the traitors are those who have created the system. Those who give drugs to young athletes and ruining the future of those athletes and force them to become haters of sport. I was trying to tell the truth. I saw a lot of ruined careers of sportsmen,&quot; Stepanova told Reuters. 
 
Her disclosure of state-sponsored, however, doping almost led to Russia being completely excluded from the Rio de Janeiro Games. 
 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) invited the middle-distance athlete and her husband to attend next month&#39;s Games as guests but denied her a competitive spot in Rio, arguing her doping-tainted past made her ineligible. 
&nbsp; 
Stepanova&#39;s husband Vitaly, a former Russian sports official, said the couple would not be appealing the IOC ban with CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport). &quot;We will not appeal to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) the decision about Yulia. It is not enough time. That was not our intention to go to courts. Our intention was to make sports cleaner and hopefully try to set up some future program for whistleblowers,&quot; Vitaly said in the living room of their tiny apartment. 
 
&#39;Would like to apologise for my past&#39;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I would like to apologise for my past. I doped and I&#39;m not using that as an excuse but to tell about what was going on you had to be on the inside of what was happening.I regret that I believed in that system and that I trusted those people who said that was the only way to join the national team,&quot; Stepanova told Reuters. 
 
Stepanova, who provided evidence of doping in a series of German broadcaster ARD documentaries, has fled Russia and is living in hiding at an undisclosed location in North America, fearing for her safety. 
 
Sunday&#39;s decision by the IOC ruling out a total ban on Russia was a clear disappointment for many athletes campaigning for clean sport. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t know for sure but to us, it seems that the IOC doesn&#39;t have a zero-tolerance policy to doping and in fact, with the decision about Russia it seems that it sends the opposite signal. That if you run a systematic state-sponsored doping program you will not be sanctioned for it and in this regard there will be Russian athletes who have doping in preparation and athletes from other countries as well,&quot; Vitaly said. 
 
Stepanova was cleared to compete in Rio as a neutral athlete by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and received praise for revealing one of the biggest doping scandals in decades. 
 
However, the IOC ruled on Sunday that any Russian athlete with a doping past, including Stepanova, would not be allowed to compete in Rio. 
 
&quot;The executive board have appreciated that she came forward and she and her husband, who also played a very important role, are being invited to the Olympic Games as a guest of the IOC,&quot; IOC President Thomas Bach said. 
 
Unfortunately, she could not compete due to her doping background, Bach added. An online petition requesting the IOC reconsider the ban has collected thousands of signatures. &quot;I think it&#39;s amazing that so many people believe in us and support us. It&#39;s true. It&#39;s happened,&quot; Yulia said Vitaly Stapanov said the couple were determined to keep fighting for clean sport despite their recent setback. 
 
&quot;The reason we started whistleblowing is that we saw there is a problem in our home country and it&#39;s unfortunate there are corrupt sport officials setting up these kinds of systems in our home country again but I don&#39;t think that should be used as an excuse for not fighting corruption and doping and that was the reason we decided to fight it or at least try to fight it.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

'I don't consider myself a traitor as they portray me in Russia. I think the traitors are those who have created the system,' said Stepanova

Yulia Stepanova, the key whistleblower in the Russian doping scandal, said on Thursday she is not a traitor to her country. "I don't consider myself a traitor as they portray me in Russia. I think the traitors are those who have created the system. Those who give drugs to young athletes and ruining the future of those athletes and force them to become haters of sport. I was trying to tell the truth. I saw a lot of ruined careers of sportsmen," Stepanova told Reuters. Her disclosure of state-sponsored, however, doping almost led to Russia being completely excluded from the Rio de Janeiro Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) invited the middle-distance athlete and her husband to attend next month's Games as guests but denied her a competitive spot in Rio, arguing her doping-tainted past made her ineligible. Stepanova's husband Vitaly, a former Russian sports official, said the couple would not be appealing the IOC ban with CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport). "We will not appeal to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) the decision about Yulia. It is not enough time. That was not our intention to go to courts. Our intention was to make sports cleaner and hopefully try to set up some future program for whistleblowers," Vitaly said in the living room of their tiny apartment. 'Would like to apologise for my past' "I would like to apologise for my past. I doped and I'm not using that as an excuse but to tell about what was going on you had to be on the inside of what was happening.I regret that I believed in that system and that I trusted those people who said that was the only way to join the national team," Stepanova told Reuters. Stepanova, who provided evidence of doping in a series of German broadcaster ARD documentaries, has fled Russia and is living in hiding at an undisclosed location in North America, fearing for her safety. Sunday's decision by the IOC ruling out a total ban on Russia was a clear disappointment for many athletes campaigning for clean sport. "We don't know for sure but to us, it seems that the IOC doesn't have a zero-tolerance policy to doping and in fact, with the decision about Russia it seems that it sends the opposite signal. That if you run a systematic state-sponsored doping program you will not be sanctioned for it and in this regard there will be Russian athletes who have doping in preparation and athletes from other countries as well," Vitaly said. Stepanova was cleared to compete in Rio as a neutral athlete by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and received praise for revealing one of the biggest doping scandals in decades. However, the IOC ruled on Sunday that any Russian athlete with a doping past, including Stepanova, would not be allowed to compete in Rio. "The executive board have appreciated that she came forward and she and her husband, who also played a very important role, are being invited to the Olympic Games as a guest of the IOC," IOC President Thomas Bach said. Unfortunately, she could not compete due to her doping background, Bach added. An online petition requesting the IOC reconsider the ban has collected thousands of signatures. "I think it's amazing that so many people believe in us and support us. It's true. It's happened," Yulia said Vitaly Stapanov said the couple were determined to keep fighting for clean sport despite their recent setback. "The reason we started whistleblowing is that we saw there is a problem in our home country and it's unfortunate there are corrupt sport officials setting up these kinds of systems in our home country again but I don't think that should be used as an excuse for not fighting corruption and doping and that was the reason we decided to fight it or at least try to fight it." (Reuters)

Russia doping scandal: Key whistleblower says she is no 'traitor'

Police in Rio de Janeiro state, which hosts next month&#39;s Olympics, killed at least 645 people in the last year and 8,000 over the decade, a rights group said today. 
 
The grisly toll includes dozens of execution-style killings in addition to the lethal violence used during standard police work in the state, the report from Human Rights Watch said. 
 
The international rights group identified 64 cases in the last eight years in which Rio police allegedly tried to cover up extrajudicial killings of 116 people, including at least 24 minors. 
 
&quot;Killing criminals was a requirement from my superiors as a way of showing that we were performing well,&quot; one of 30 police officers interviewed for Human Rights Watch&#39;s study alleged. 
 
The officer, who like all the others spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of &nbsp;reprisals, said he had been stationed in one of Rio&#39;s most dangerous neighborhoods where he took part in operations against heavily armed drug traffickers. The strategy was to kill them as a way to reduce crime, he said. 
 
The officer, who is still on the force, was quoted as saying that some police would capture suspected drug traffickers and kill them, sometimes to gain status as killers and to boost their own extortion rackets. 
 
The pressure to play along makes honest policing difficult in Rio, according to the report, titled &#39;Good cops are afraid:&#39; The toll of unchecked police violence in Rio de Janeiro.&quot; 
 
&quot;Illegal executions by police colleagues turn an already dangerous job into something even more dangerous&quot; and stokes anger against the authorities, the report said. 
 
Rio state&#39;s prosecutor general, Marfan Martins Vieira, also told Human Rights Watch that a large proportion of shoot-outs reported by police are faked. 
 
However, he said that his office had only taken on &quot;a very small number&quot; of cases involving murder by police. 
 
Vieira accused the Civil Police, which investigates homicides, of not fulfilling its task, but Human Rights Watch says the ultimate responsibility lies with prosecutors and that they should be pursuing the culprits. 
 
Only eight of the 64 cases investigated by Human Rights Watch have gone to trial and only four of those resulted in prison terms for police. 
 
(AFP)

They killed 645 people last year, the grisly toll includes dozens of execution-style killings

Police in Rio de Janeiro state, which hosts next month's Olympics, killed at least 645 people in the last year and 8,000 over the decade, a rights group said today. The grisly toll includes dozens of execution-style killings in addition to the lethal violence used during standard police work in the state, the report from Human Rights Watch said. The international rights group identified 64 cases in the last eight years in which Rio police allegedly tried to cover up extrajudicial killings of 116 people, including at least 24 minors. "Killing criminals was a requirement from my superiors as a way of showing that we were performing well," one of 30 police officers interviewed for Human Rights Watch's study alleged. The officer, who like all the others spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said he had been stationed in one of Rio's most dangerous neighborhoods where he took part in operations against heavily armed drug traffickers. The strategy was to kill them as a way to reduce crime, he said. The officer, who is still on the force, was quoted as saying that some police would capture suspected drug traffickers and kill them, sometimes to gain status as killers and to boost their own extortion rackets. The pressure to play along makes honest policing difficult in Rio, according to the report, titled 'Good cops are afraid:' The toll of unchecked police violence in Rio de Janeiro." "Illegal executions by police colleagues turn an already dangerous job into something even more dangerous" and stokes anger against the authorities, the report said. Rio state's prosecutor general, Marfan Martins Vieira, also told Human Rights Watch that a large proportion of shoot-outs reported by police are faked. However, he said that his office had only taken on "a very small number" of cases involving murder by police. Vieira accused the Civil Police, which investigates homicides, of not fulfilling its task, but Human Rights Watch says the ultimate responsibility lies with prosecutors and that they should be pursuing the culprits. Only eight of the 64 cases investigated by Human Rights Watch have gone to trial and only four of those resulted in prison terms for police. (AFP)

Rio police kill, torture with impunity: Rights group

Brazilian police protesting unpaid salaries and officers&#39; deaths shocked travellers arriving at Rio de Janeiro&#39;s main airport on Monday with banners reading &#39;Welcome to Hell&#39; a month before the Olympics. 
 
The protest by workers of more than 100 emergency services, including firefighters, took place in the arrival hall at Galeao International Airport, which will be a key entry point for the expected half-million tourists to the Games starting August 5. 
 
Officers held up a banner reading: &quot;Welcome to hell. Police and firefighters don&#39;t get paid, whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe.&quot; 
 
Mannequins dressed in uniform were laid out on the floor to represent the more than 50 officers killed in Rio de Janeiro so far this year. A female officer with fake blood smeared on her face and hands clutched a mannequin dressed in a T-shirt reading &quot;SOS policia.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are here to show citizens and tourists from abroad the realities of Brazil,&quot; said veteran police officer Alexander Neto, 56. &quot;They&#39;ve been conned and we too have been conned. You have to understand there is no public security.&quot; 
 
Rio police began staging street protests, including another at the airport, last week, saying that they have not been fully paid for months as Rio state hovers on the edge of bankruptcy. 
 
An emergency federal bailout received last week started to be doled out on Monday, local news reports said, with the government beginning to meet delayed commitments to emergency services workers, teachers, hospital staff and prison administrators. 
 
Rio is set to become the first South American city in history to host the Olympics. However, there are growing fears about the ability of police to control crime during the event. 
 
Murders in the first quarter of 2016 are up 15 per cent on the same period last year. 
 
Non-lethal crimes such as street robberies are also on the rise, highlighted by the hijacking on Friday of a truck carrying some $445,000 worth of television equipment to be used for Olympics news coverage. 
 
David Cervantes, a Colombian tourist who came across the airport protest on arrival in Rio, said he was shocked. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not the best welcome we could get from Rio de Janeiro, which has the reputation of being such a wonderful city,&quot; he said. &quot;I&#39;m not quite sure what to think.&quot; 
 
Rio mayor Eduardo Paes admits that crime has become a serious issue on the eve of the Olympics but blames the security problems on the state, not city, government. 
 
&quot;This is the most serious issue in Rio and the state is doing a terrible, horrible job,&quot; he told CNN. 
 
In addition to violence and the effects of a bruising recession, preparations for the Rio Olympics have been plagued by Brazil&#39;s political instability and a series of corruption scandals. 
 
Huge construction companies building stadiums and other Olympic infrastructure have been implicated in a multi-billion dollar embezzlement scheme centered on state oil company Petrobras. 
 
Now police are investigating the suspected embezzlement of subsidies for Brazilian athletes, a television channel reported. 
 
The probe centers on deals signed by sports confederations and SB Marketing e Promocoes, a promotional company, the channel said in a report aired on late Sunday. 
 
The marketing firm was hired by the sports ministry to channel subsidies to fund athletes&#39; training, worth around nine million dollars, it said.&nbsp; 
 
SB Marketing declined to comment on the report. 
 
(AFP)

Close to bankruptcy, state hasn't been able to pay salaries of cops, firefighters casting a shadow over security during the Games

Brazilian police protesting unpaid salaries and officers' deaths shocked travellers arriving at Rio de Janeiro's main airport on Monday with banners reading 'Welcome to Hell' a month before the Olympics. The protest by workers of more than 100 emergency services, including firefighters, took place in the arrival hall at Galeao International Airport, which will be a key entry point for the expected half-million tourists to the Games starting August 5. Officers held up a banner reading: "Welcome to hell. Police and firefighters don't get paid, whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe." Mannequins dressed in uniform were laid out on the floor to represent the more than 50 officers killed in Rio de Janeiro so far this year. A female officer with fake blood smeared on her face and hands clutched a mannequin dressed in a T-shirt reading "SOS policia." "We are here to show citizens and tourists from abroad the realities of Brazil," said veteran police officer Alexander Neto, 56. "They've been conned and we too have been conned. You have to understand there is no public security." Rio police began staging street protests, including another at the airport, last week, saying that they have not been fully paid for months as Rio state hovers on the edge of bankruptcy. An emergency federal bailout received last week started to be doled out on Monday, local news reports said, with the government beginning to meet delayed commitments to emergency services workers, teachers, hospital staff and prison administrators. Rio is set to become the first South American city in history to host the Olympics. However, there are growing fears about the ability of police to control crime during the event. Murders in the first quarter of 2016 are up 15 per cent on the same period last year. Non-lethal crimes such as street robberies are also on the rise, highlighted by the hijacking on Friday of a truck carrying some $445,000 worth of television equipment to be used for Olympics news coverage. David Cervantes, a Colombian tourist who came across the airport protest on arrival in Rio, said he was shocked. "It's not the best welcome we could get from Rio de Janeiro, which has the reputation of being such a wonderful city," he said. "I'm not quite sure what to think." Rio mayor Eduardo Paes admits that crime has become a serious issue on the eve of the Olympics but blames the security problems on the state, not city, government. "This is the most serious issue in Rio and the state is doing a terrible, horrible job," he told CNN. In addition to violence and the effects of a bruising recession, preparations for the Rio Olympics have been plagued by Brazil's political instability and a series of corruption scandals. Huge construction companies building stadiums and other Olympic infrastructure have been implicated in a multi-billion dollar embezzlement scheme centered on state oil company Petrobras. Now police are investigating the suspected embezzlement of subsidies for Brazilian athletes, a television channel reported. The probe centers on deals signed by sports confederations and SB Marketing e Promocoes, a promotional company, the channel said in a report aired on late Sunday. The marketing firm was hired by the sports ministry to channel subsidies to fund athletes' training, worth around nine million dollars, it said. SB Marketing declined to comment on the report. (AFP)

'Welcome to Hell', protesting Rio police tell tourists

Armed thieves in Rio de Janeiro hijacked a truckload of equipment imported by German broadcasters for the Olympic Games, but the gear was later recovered, representatives for the companies said on Friday. 
 
The robbery occurred shortly after equipment shipped in by both ARD and ZDF television was being driven early Friday from Rio&#39;s port to a storage facility, ARD said in a statement. 
 
The truck and the two containers of cargo were found later by police and recovered, Michael Stocks, a journalist for ARD in Rio, told AFP. 
 
The equipment was worth about $445,000 and was insured, ARD said. 
 
Rio will become the first South American city in history to host the Olympics on August 5. There are fears about the ability of police to control rampant crime during the event, as well as the potential for terrorism in a country with no experience of jihadist attacks. 
 
While crime levels are far down from a decade ago, they are on the rise this year. 
 
There were 1,715 murders in Rio de Janeiro state just between January and April, up 15 per cent on the same period last year. Non-lethal crimes like carjacking are also on the rise. 
 
(AFP)

The paraphernalia had been imported by German broadcasters, was later found and recovered by police

Armed thieves in Rio de Janeiro hijacked a truckload of equipment imported by German broadcasters for the Olympic Games, but the gear was later recovered, representatives for the companies said on Friday. The robbery occurred shortly after equipment shipped in by both ARD and ZDF television was being driven early Friday from Rio's port to a storage facility, ARD said in a statement. The truck and the two containers of cargo were found later by police and recovered, Michael Stocks, a journalist for ARD in Rio, told AFP. The equipment was worth about $445,000 and was insured, ARD said. Rio will become the first South American city in history to host the Olympics on August 5. There are fears about the ability of police to control rampant crime during the event, as well as the potential for terrorism in a country with no experience of jihadist attacks. While crime levels are far down from a decade ago, they are on the rise this year. There were 1,715 murders in Rio de Janeiro state just between January and April, up 15 per cent on the same period last year. Non-lethal crimes like carjacking are also on the rise. (AFP)

Armed Rio thieves hijack truckload of TV equipment brought in for Olympics

The Rio Olympic velodrome, the latest-running major venue for the August Games, was declared ready on Sunday for action, without actually being finished. 
 
It is just 40 days until the first Olympics in South America gets underway and there had been growing fears about slow progress at the velodrome, where the cycling will take place. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s still missing some details, but the velodrome is in condition to be used. We have overcome one of the biggest challenges of the Olympics,&quot; said Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio. 
 
Temporary stands are yet to be completed and colourful sheets were thrown over to cover some unfinished parts, said an AFP photographer at the inauguration, where cyclists whizzed around the track as part of testing. 
 
Parts of the outside of the velodrome, which was supposed to have been ready in late 2015, also need more work before the Games launch on August 5. Rio organisers say that the rest of the Olympic infrastructure is virtually done. 
 
Paes blames construction company Tecnosolo for the delay. Tecnosolo, which in turn pointed the finger at city hall, are facing a winding-up order and were replaced on the project by a sub-contractor. 
 
Officials say that the next few weeks before the Games will be used to polish off the velodrome, where pre-Olympics test events in April-May had to be postponed because of the slow progress. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Temporary stands, however, are yet to be completed and colourful sheets were thrown over to cover some unfinished parts

The Rio Olympic velodrome, the latest-running major venue for the August Games, was declared ready on Sunday for action, without actually being finished. It is just 40 days until the first Olympics in South America gets underway and there had been growing fears about slow progress at the velodrome, where the cycling will take place. "It's still missing some details, but the velodrome is in condition to be used. We have overcome one of the biggest challenges of the Olympics," said Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio. Temporary stands are yet to be completed and colourful sheets were thrown over to cover some unfinished parts, said an AFP photographer at the inauguration, where cyclists whizzed around the track as part of testing. Parts of the outside of the velodrome, which was supposed to have been ready in late 2015, also need more work before the Games launch on August 5. Rio organisers say that the rest of the Olympic infrastructure is virtually done. Paes blames construction company Tecnosolo for the delay. Tecnosolo, which in turn pointed the finger at city hall, are facing a winding-up order and were replaced on the project by a sub-contractor. Officials say that the next few weeks before the Games will be used to polish off the velodrome, where pre-Olympics test events in April-May had to be postponed because of the slow progress. (AFP)

'Unfinished' Rio Olympic velodrome declared ready ahead of August games

A jaguar trotted out for the Olympic torch&#39;s passage through Brazil&#39;s Amazon was killed shortly afterward when it escaped its handlers and threatened a vet, the Brazilian military said on Tuesday. 
 
The feline - whose species is the symbol of the Amazon - was shot dead in the northern city of Manaus on Monday soon after it was photographed with the torch passing by. An attempt to use tranquilizer darts on it failed. 
 
&quot;It escaped and ran off as it was being moved from one area to another in the zoo,&quot; said Colonel Luiz Gustavo Evelyn, whose unit is deployed in the region. 
 
He explained that, once located, the jaguar was hit by four tranquilizer darts. But they did not slow it down and it turned on a veterinarian, forcing the soldiers to use bullets. 
 
&quot;To protect the handler, it was sacrificed,&quot; Evelyn said. 
 
The organizing committee of the Rio Games said it was &quot;very unhappy&quot; about the jaguar&#39;s killing. 
 
&quot;We erred by allowing the Olympic torch, a symbol of peace and union among people, to be displayed next to a chained wild animal. That contradicts our beliefs and values,&quot; the committee said in a statement to AFP. 
 
&quot;We are very unhappy with the outcome. We guarantee there won&#39;t be more situations like this in the 2016 Rio Games.&quot; 
 
The animal, a 17-year-old female named Juma, had been raised since it was a cub and was kept in the military-run zoo in the Amazon with half a dozen siblings. 
 
Just before its escape, Juma and another jaguar had been exhibited as the Olympic torch crossing Brazil passed through the zoo on its way to Rio de Janeiro, which is hosting the Games due to start on August 5. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately, this occurred the day of the torch&#39;s passage,&quot; Evelyn said. &quot;The animal participated in the event because the torch went through the zoo.&quot; 
 
He added that Juma was not a wild animal, having been raised in captivity, and called its death &quot;very sad&quot;. 
 
The military has opened an investigation into the incident. 
 
A US-based animal rights group decried the jaguar&#39;s &quot;needless death&quot;. 
 
&quot;Wild animals held captive and forced to do things that are frightening, sometimes painful and always unnatural are ticking time bombs - our actions put them and humans at risk,&quot; Brittany Peet of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said in a statement. 
 
The jaguar is the biggest feline in the Americas. It can weigh up to 135 kilograms and is in danger of extinction. 
 
(AFP)

The 17-year-old feline named Juma, whose species faces extinction, escaped and was put down after being unphased by four tranquilizer darts

A jaguar trotted out for the Olympic torch's passage through Brazil's Amazon was killed shortly afterward when it escaped its handlers and threatened a vet, the Brazilian military said on Tuesday. The feline - whose species is the symbol of the Amazon - was shot dead in the northern city of Manaus on Monday soon after it was photographed with the torch passing by. An attempt to use tranquilizer darts on it failed. "It escaped and ran off as it was being moved from one area to another in the zoo," said Colonel Luiz Gustavo Evelyn, whose unit is deployed in the region. He explained that, once located, the jaguar was hit by four tranquilizer darts. But they did not slow it down and it turned on a veterinarian, forcing the soldiers to use bullets. "To protect the handler, it was sacrificed," Evelyn said. The organizing committee of the Rio Games said it was "very unhappy" about the jaguar's killing. "We erred by allowing the Olympic torch, a symbol of peace and union among people, to be displayed next to a chained wild animal. That contradicts our beliefs and values," the committee said in a statement to AFP. "We are very unhappy with the outcome. We guarantee there won't be more situations like this in the 2016 Rio Games." The animal, a 17-year-old female named Juma, had been raised since it was a cub and was kept in the military-run zoo in the Amazon with half a dozen siblings. Just before its escape, Juma and another jaguar had been exhibited as the Olympic torch crossing Brazil passed through the zoo on its way to Rio de Janeiro, which is hosting the Games due to start on August 5. "Unfortunately, this occurred the day of the torch's passage," Evelyn said. "The animal participated in the event because the torch went through the zoo." He added that Juma was not a wild animal, having been raised in captivity, and called its death "very sad". The military has opened an investigation into the incident. A US-based animal rights group decried the jaguar's "needless death". "Wild animals held captive and forced to do things that are frightening, sometimes painful and always unnatural are ticking time bombs - our actions put them and humans at risk," Brittany Peet of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said in a statement. The jaguar is the biggest feline in the Americas. It can weigh up to 135 kilograms and is in danger of extinction. (AFP)

Jaguar photographed in Olympic torch event shot dead in Brazil

An Australian paralympic sailor and team official were robbed at gunpoint while training in Rio de Janeiro at the weekend, raising fears about the security of athletes and tourists in &nbsp;Olympic Games. 
 
Liesl Tesch and physiotherapist Sarah Ross said that they were taking a bike ride in a park near their hotel at Flamengo Beach early on Sunday when they were confronted by two men, one of whom was carrying a pistol. 
 
Tesch, who won a sailing gold at the London Paralympic Games and has also competed in wheelchair basketball, told Australian television that the armed man pointed the gun at her and then gave her a shove. 
 
&quot;I think he said &#39;dinero&#39; (money),&quot; she told Channel Nine, adding that she lifted up her shirt to showed she had no money with her. 
 
&quot;And then he said something else, but I don&#39;t know what he said, lifted the gun up towards me and then pushed me in the shoulder and I just fell down on the cobblestones.&quot; 
 
The men took the bikes and rode off, she added. 
 
&quot;It was absolutely horrific, I can see it clear as day in my own head. We are both shaken, but physically we&#39;re both OK,&quot; said Tesch, who trained on her boat later that day. 
 
Tesch and Ross reported the incident to local police, said&nbsp;the Australian Paralympic Committee . 
 
Australia&#39;s Paralympic team chef de mission Kate McLoughlin said the sailing team were shaken by the incident and repeated a warning to athletes to exercise a high degree of caution while travelling in Rio. 
 
&ldquo;That advice is particularly important before the Paralympic Games period,&rdquo; said&nbsp;McLoughlin . 
 
&ldquo;We know there will be a hugely elevated level of security in place during the Paralympic Games, but for athletes and teams travelling there before the Games, there is a heightened need to be security conscious.&rdquo; 
 
The Sept. 7-18 Paralympics follow the Olympics, which opens on Aug. 5. 
 
Olympic organizers plan to deploy around 85,000 security personnel for the Games, double the number used in London in 2012. 
 
Security issues are just one of the concerns facing Rio, which on Friday declared a state of financial emergency to help fulfil obligations for public services during the Olympics. 
 
Emergency measures are needed to avoid &quot;a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management,&quot; a decree in the state&#39;s Official Gazette said. 
 
The financial pinch resulted in a 30 percent cut in the state&#39;s security budget - just as Rio has seen a jump in homicides and assaults in recent months, raising concerns about safety ahead of the Olympics. 
 
(Reuters)

Liesl Tesch and physiotherapist Sarah Ross were taking a bike ride in a park near their hotel on Flamengo Beach when two men attacked them

An Australian paralympic sailor and team official were robbed at gunpoint while training in Rio de Janeiro at the weekend, raising fears about the security of athletes and tourists in Olympic Games. Liesl Tesch and physiotherapist Sarah Ross said that they were taking a bike ride in a park near their hotel at Flamengo Beach early on Sunday when they were confronted by two men, one of whom was carrying a pistol. Tesch, who won a sailing gold at the London Paralympic Games and has also competed in wheelchair basketball, told Australian television that the armed man pointed the gun at her and then gave her a shove. "I think he said 'dinero' (money)," she told Channel Nine, adding that she lifted up her shirt to showed she had no money with her. "And then he said something else, but I don't know what he said, lifted the gun up towards me and then pushed me in the shoulder and I just fell down on the cobblestones." The men took the bikes and rode off, she added. "It was absolutely horrific, I can see it clear as day in my own head. We are both shaken, but physically we're both OK," said Tesch, who trained on her boat later that day. Tesch and Ross reported the incident to local police, said the Australian Paralympic Committee . Australia's Paralympic team chef de mission Kate McLoughlin said the sailing team were shaken by the incident and repeated a warning to athletes to exercise a high degree of caution while travelling in Rio. “That advice is particularly important before the Paralympic Games period,” said McLoughlin . “We know there will be a hugely elevated level of security in place during the Paralympic Games, but for athletes and teams travelling there before the Games, there is a heightened need to be security conscious.” The Sept. 7-18 Paralympics follow the Olympics, which opens on Aug. 5. Olympic organizers plan to deploy around 85,000 security personnel for the Games, double the number used in London in 2012. Security issues are just one of the concerns facing Rio, which on Friday declared a state of financial emergency to help fulfil obligations for public services during the Olympics. Emergency measures are needed to avoid "a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management," a decree in the state's Official Gazette said. The financial pinch resulted in a 30 percent cut in the state's security budget - just as Rio has seen a jump in homicides and assaults in recent months, raising concerns about safety ahead of the Olympics. (Reuters)

Australian paralympic sailor robbed at gunpoint in Rio

<div style="text-align: justify;">Rio de Janeiro&#39;s governor declared a state of financial emergency today&nbsp;and requested federal funds to help fulfill public&nbsp;service obligations&nbsp;during the Olympics that start August&nbsp;5. 
 
Emergency measures are needed to avoid &quot;a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management,&quot; a decree in the state&#39;s Official Gazette said. 
 
The state&#39;s revenue, largely tied to the petroleum industry, slumped in the last two years as global oil prices collapsed. 
 
The announcement followed this week&#39;s visit to Rio by Brazil&#39;s Interim President Michel Temer, who said the federal government would ensure all obligations are met for a successful Games. 
 
Rio is expecting about 500,000 foreign visitors during the Olympics, which has coincided with Brazil&#39;s worst recession since the 1930s and a political crisis that last month led to the suspension of President Dilma Rousseff. 
 
&quot;The state&#39;s financial emergency in no way delays the delivery of Olympic projects and the promises assumed by the city of Rio,&quot; Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Twitter. 
 
He also underscored that legacy construction projects, with the exception of an 8.79 billion-real expansion of Rio&#39;s metro that is expected to be finished just days before the Games open, are the responsibility of the city and that most have been completed. 
 
The local organising committee for the Games said the state&#39;s fiscal situation did not impact its actual running of the Olympics, which relies entirely on private funds. 
 
While the majority of Olympic infrastructure costs have been spread across city, state and federal budgets, with some financing from private companies, the state is responsible for most day-to-day security and health services in Rio. 
 
The financial pinch resulted in a 30-per cent cut in the state&#39;s security budget - just as Rio has seen a jump in homicides and assaults in recent months, raising concerns about safety ahead of the Olympics. 
 
The state of Rio expects a budget deficit of over 19 billion reais ($5.56 billion) this year as spending planned before oil prices fell outstrips revenue that is tumbling during Brazil&#39;s recession. 
 
Rio state&#39;s debt has been downgraded several times. 
 
On Wednesday, Fitch Ratings downgraded Rio&#39;s debt rating to &#39;B-&#39; from &#39;B+&#39;, saying the state was suffering &quot;a fast-deteriorating liquidity position.&quot; 
 
Since late last year, the state has been forced to delay pension and salary payments and shutter some schools and hospitals, where crucial supplies, including medicines and syringes, are lacking. 
 
Brazil is also facing an outbreak of the Zika virus, which has been linked to the birth defect microcephaly in which babies are born with abnormally small heads frequently associated with developmental issues. 
(Reuters)</div>

Urgent measures are needed to avoid 'a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management'

Rio de Janeiro's governor declared a state of financial emergency today and requested federal funds to help fulfill public service obligations during the Olympics that start August 5. Emergency measures are needed to avoid "a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management," a decree in the state's Official Gazette said. The state's revenue, largely tied to the petroleum industry, slumped in the last two years as global oil prices collapsed. The announcement followed this week's visit to Rio by Brazil's Interim President Michel Temer, who said the federal government would ensure all obligations are met for a successful Games. Rio is expecting about 500,000 foreign visitors during the Olympics, which has coincided with Brazil's worst recession since the 1930s and a political crisis that last month led to the suspension of President Dilma Rousseff. "The state's financial emergency in no way delays the delivery of Olympic projects and the promises assumed by the city of Rio," Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Twitter. He also underscored that legacy construction projects, with the exception of an 8.79 billion-real expansion of Rio's metro that is expected to be finished just days before the Games open, are the responsibility of the city and that most have been completed. The local organising committee for the Games said the state's fiscal situation did not impact its actual running of the Olympics, which relies entirely on private funds. While the majority of Olympic infrastructure costs have been spread across city, state and federal budgets, with some financing from private companies, the state is responsible for most day-to-day security and health services in Rio. The financial pinch resulted in a 30-per cent cut in the state's security budget - just as Rio has seen a jump in homicides and assaults in recent months, raising concerns about safety ahead of the Olympics. The state of Rio expects a budget deficit of over 19 billion reais ($5.56 billion) this year as spending planned before oil prices fell outstrips revenue that is tumbling during Brazil's recession. Rio state's debt has been downgraded several times. On Wednesday, Fitch Ratings downgraded Rio's debt rating to 'B-' from 'B+', saying the state was suffering "a fast-deteriorating liquidity position." Since late last year, the state has been forced to delay pension and salary payments and shutter some schools and hospitals, where crucial supplies, including medicines and syringes, are lacking. Brazil is also facing an outbreak of the Zika virus, which has been linked to the birth defect microcephaly in which babies are born with abnormally small heads frequently associated with developmental issues. (Reuters)

Olympics to start in six weeks, and host city declares financial emergency

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