• Brazil’s far right pilloried for Madonna outrage after figures spotted at concert

    Brazil’s far right pilloried for Madonna outrage after figures spotted at concert
    Supporters of rightwing ex-president Jair Bolsonaro among 1.6m people at show despite conservative criticism of ‘satanist’ singerFor conservative supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro, Madonna’s recent mega show in Rio had seemed the perfect opportunity to score points against what they see as the ungodly and morally degenerate left.After the Queen of Pop threw the biggest concert of her 40-year career on Copacabana beach on Saturday, one far-right congre
  • Devastating Brazil floods made twice as likely by burning of fossil fuels and trees

    Devastating Brazil floods made twice as likely by burning of fossil fuels and trees
    Scientists say calamities on same scale as disaster that has killed 169 will become more common if emissions not cutThe unusually intense, prolonged and extensive flooding that has devastated southern Brazil was made at least twice as likely by human burning of fossil fuels and trees, a study has shown.The record disaster has led to 169 deaths, ruined homes and wrecked harvests, and was worsened by deforestation, investment cuts and human incompetence. Continue reading...
  • ‘We want to forge ahead’: grief and defiance as Dom Phillips’ widow journeys to site of his death

    ‘We want to forge ahead’: grief and defiance as Dom Phillips’ widow journeys to site of his death
    The Guardian journalist and his Brazilian colleague, Bruno Pereira, were shot dead in the Amazon in 2022.Alessandra Sampaio fell to her knees and wept as she clambered on to the boat’s deck and came face to face with the remote riverside clearing where her husband’s life was extinguished and hers turned upside down.The sound of Sampaio’s lament mixed with birdsong and the voice of an Indigenous shaman echoed through the jungle where the British journalist, Dom Phillips, and his
  • Orange-juice makers consider using other fruits after prices go ‘bananas’

    Orange-juice makers consider using other fruits after prices go ‘bananas’
    Global industry ‘in crisis’ as fears about Brazilian harvest help push wholesale prices to record highsOrange juice makers are considering turning to alternative fruits such as mandarins as wholesale prices have “gone bananas” amid fears of poor harvests in Brazil.Prices of orange juice reached a new high of $4.95 (£3.88) a lb on commodity markets this week after growers in the main orange producing areas of Brazil said they were expecting the harvest to be 24% down
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  • Former Olympic pole vault champion Thiago Braz gets 16-month doping ban

    Former Olympic pole vault champion Thiago Braz gets 16-month doping ban
    Rio 2016 gold medallist found to have violated anti-doping rulesBraz will miss 2024 Games this summer but has filed Cas appealThiago Braz da Silva, the Brazilian pole vaulter who won Olympic gold on home soil in 2016, has been banned for 16 months after he was found to have violated anti-doping regulations.In a statement released on Tuesday, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said Braz was deemed to have breached the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR 2.1) relating to “presence of a pr
  • He was given 170 years for crimes he didn’t commit. His lawyers say it could happen again

    He was given 170 years for crimes he didn’t commit. His lawyers say it could happen again
    Carlos Edmilson da Silva served 12 years in Brazil before being freed, after a widely used police practice led to a false arrestCarlos Edmilson da Silva had already served three years in prison for a crime he had not committed when he was arrested in the Brazilian city of Barueri and accused of a string of horrific rapes.His face was plastered across newspapers and TV reports, where he was dubbed the “maniac of Castello Branco”, after the highway where 12 women had been raped over tw
  • ‘I’ve seen things no one should go through’: the overwhelming scale of loss in Brazil’s floods

    ‘I’ve seen things no one should go through’: the overwhelming scale of loss in Brazil’s floods
    In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, authorities are struggling to find shelter for half a million displaced people as a health crisis loomsAs the rain poured down during the night of 3 May, a stream of people began to arrive at the Lutheran University of Brazil in Canoas, a city in the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. For a week, heavy rains had been pummelling the landscape, raising river levels and flooding homes, forcing many to seek shelter elsewhere.Three weeks later, the uni
  • Motel Destino review – terrifically acted Brazilian erotic noir thriller

    Motel Destino review – terrifically acted Brazilian erotic noir thriller
    Cannes film festival
    A young man on the run from a mob boss lands an unlikely job in a brutally functional love motel and starts a passionate affair with the manager’s wifeAs motel names go, it’s certainly more portentous than “Bates”. But destiny of a sort, shaped by class and money and family abuse, is waiting for the hero and heroine of this movie. This is an erotic noir thriller from Karim Aïnouz; a noir lit mostly by bright sunshine, shot with garish glee by H&e
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  • The flooded buildings of Porto Alegre, Brazil – in pictures

    The flooded buildings of Porto Alegre, Brazil – in pictures
    Photographer Gideon Mendel has filmed and photographed floods around the world extensively. He travelled by boat through the historic town centre of Port Alegre, documenting the reflections across a city that had become a liquid landscape Continue reading...
  • Latin America labels ultra-processed foods. Will the US follow?

    Latin America labels ultra-processed foods. Will the US follow?
    In 2010, Mexico led the way, followed by Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina and ColombiaWhat are those weird ingredients in our favorite packaged foods?Candy lines every inch of the mercado de dulces in Mexico City’s historic center. Tantalizing strawberry-flavored chocolates and Tajín-covered mango gummies pack the narrow aisles of the meandering marketplace. But many of the colorful packages are somewhat dampened by black stop signs printed on their fronts. Alongside dreamy
  • More than third of Amazon rainforest struggling to recover from drought, study finds

    More than third of Amazon rainforest struggling to recover from drought, study finds
    ‘Critical slowing down’ of recovery raises concern over forest’s resilience to ecosystem collapseMore than a third of the Amazon rainforest is struggling to recover from drought, according to a new study that warns of a “critical slowing down” of this globally important ecosystem.The signs of weakening resilience raise concerns that the world’s greatest tropical forest – and biggest terrestrial carbon sink – is degrading towards a point of no retur
  • Brazil counts cost of worst-ever floods with little hope of waters receding soon

    Brazil counts cost of worst-ever floods with little hope of waters receding soon
    Death toll in southern state of Rio Grande do Sul increasing daily as authorities plan four ‘tent cities’ for 77,000 displaced peopleThree weeks after one of Brazil’s worst-ever floods hit its southernmost state, killing 155 people and forcing 540,000 from their homes, experts have warned that water levels will take at least another two weeks to drop.The death toll across Rio Grande do Sul is still increasing daily, and more than 77,000 displaced people remain in public shelter
  • Billie Eilish, dogs and lift-off: photos of the day – Friday

    Billie Eilish, dogs and lift-off: photos of the day – Friday
    The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world Continue reading...
  • Martin Raw obituary

    Martin Raw obituary
    Anti-smoking campaigner whose research and activism helped to persuade millions of people to give up cigarettesThe sharp drop in the number of smokers in the UK over the past 40 years, and England’s leading role in the global smoking cessation movement, owe much to the research work of Martin Raw, who has died of pulmonary fibrosis aged 74.Millions of smokers will have been prompted and supported to quit thanks to Raw’s findings and advocacy. He was lead author of England’s fir
  • 'It was like a movie': rescue operations under way as deadly floods hit Brazil – video

    'It was like a movie': rescue operations under way as deadly floods hit Brazil – video
    Rescue operations are under way in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, where devastating floods have killed more than 100 people. Soldiers rescued a man clinging to a fence in a flooded area in the city of Porto Alegre. Emergency workers also rescued a horse that had been trapped for days on a rooftop. More than 165,000 people have been displaced from flooded homes and rescued by boats and helicopters, with many taking refuge at makeshift sheltersBrazil is reeling from catastroph
  • Brazil is reeling from catastrophic floods. What went wrong – and what does the future hold?

    Brazil is reeling from catastrophic floods. What went wrong – and what does the future hold?
    In the country’s south, up to half of the annual predicted rain fell in just 10 days – the third such event in a year. Experts say it is time to plan for a new normalPhotographs by Daniel MarencoWhen the torrential rain began to swallow her city block, Cristiane Batista, 34, grabbed her three children, a couple of backpacks and her smartphone and waited at the door, hoping to be picked up by the municipal trucks preparing to evacuate the population of Muçum, in the state of Ri
  • Horse stranded on roof by Brazil floods is rescued by emergency workers

    Horse stranded on roof by Brazil floods is rescued by emergency workers
    Animal dubbed ‘Caramelo’ was trapped for days, balancing on two strips of slippery asbestos after flooding hit the Porto Alegre areaEmergency workers have rescued a horse that had been trapped for days on a rooftop after severe floods in southern Brazil, as the death toll from the disaster rose to 107 people.The animal, dubbed Caramelo on social media, had been balancing on two narrow strips of slippery asbestos in Canoas, a city in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area that is one of t
  • Brazil floods: horse stranded on roof is rescued as death toll rises to 107 people

    Brazil floods: horse stranded on roof is rescued as death toll rises to 107 people
    Animal dubbed ‘Caramelo’ was trapped for days, balancing on two strips of slippery asbestos after flooding hit the Porto Alegre areaEmergency workers have rescued a horse that had been trapped for days on a rooftop after severe floods in southern Brazil, as the death toll from the disaster rose to 107 people.The animal, dubbed Caramelo on social media, had been balancing on two narrow strips of slippery asbestos in Canoas, a city in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area that is one of t
  • Disease and hunger soar in Latin America after floods and drought, study finds

    Disease and hunger soar in Latin America after floods and drought, study finds
    Climate chaos is threatening food production, trade and lives, says World Meteorological OrganizationHunger and disease are rising in Latin America after a year of record heat, floods and drought, a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has shown.The continent, which is trapped between the freakishly hot Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, probably suffered tens of thousands of climate-related deaths in 2023, at least $21bn (£17bn) of economic damage and “the greatest calori
  • Flooding in Brazil: then and now – in pictures

    Flooding in Brazil: then and now – in pictures
    Devastating floods across the state of Rio Grande do Sul have about 90 dead and survivors seeking food and shelterBrazil flooding death toll rises to 90 Heavy rains that began last week have caused rivers to flood, inundating whole towns and destroying roads and bridges across the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The local civil defence agency said the death toll has risen to 90, while 131 people are still unaccounted for and 155,000 are homeless. A state of emergency has been decl
  • Brazil floods: footage shows airport under water as death toll rises – video

    Brazil floods: footage shows airport under water as death toll rises – video
    Drone footage showed a flooded airport and stadium in the city of Porto Alegre, as the death toll after heavy rains in southern Brazil climbed to at least 90, with more than 130 people still missing. Rain has flooded huge stretches of Rio Grande do Sul state, displacing more than 155,000 people and affecting an estimated 1.3 million, according to local authoritiesBrazil flooding death toll rises to 90 as more than 155,000 people displaced Continue reading...
  • Brazil flooding death toll rises to 90 as more than 155,000 people displaced

    Brazil flooding death toll rises to 90 as more than 155,000 people displaced
    At least 361 injured and 131 missing in southern part of country from what governor called his state’s ‘biggest climate catastrophe’The death toll from what authorities call the worst climate disaster ever to strike southern Brazil has risen to 90, after ferocious rain flooded huge stretches of Rio Grande do Sul state, displacing more than 155,000 people and forcing the closure of the main airport in the country’s fifth biggest city.Photographs of the Porto Alegre airport
  • ‘Magical moment’ as fire-ravaged Brazil museum receives big fossil donation

    ‘Magical moment’ as fire-ravaged Brazil museum receives big fossil donation
    Collection of more than 1,000 fossils including rare dinosaurs given to National Museum in Rio six years after devastating blazeNearly six years after it was engulfed by a devastating fire that inflicted incalculable damage on Brazil’s cultural heritage, the country’s national museum has received an important donation of more than a thousand fossils as part of a campaign to help rebuild the collection lost to the flames.The fire, caused by an electrical short-circuit on the night of
  • Brazil floods: Lula flies over Rio Grande do Sul as army races to rescue stranded families – video

    Brazil floods: Lula flies over Rio Grande do Sul as army races to rescue stranded families – video
    Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, flew with several cabinet members over the southern Rio Grande do Sul state to witness the floods that have killed at least 75 people.Footage show helicopter crews rescuing families including babies from rooftops. More than 100 people were missing on Sunday, according to local officialsFlooding death toll in south Brazil rises to 75 Continue reading...
  • Weather tracker: torrential rainstorms cause death and destruction in Brazil

    Weather tracker: torrential rainstorms cause death and destruction in Brazil
    This part of South America is no stranger to major rainfall, but last week’s storms were particularly devastatingTorrential rainstorms in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul have caused the worst flooding the country has seen in 80 years, with many deaths and thousands of families displaced. Central parts of the state were worst-hit after the storms began last Monday, with unofficial weather stations in the area recording 20-40in over the past week.Widespread floods and
  • Flooding death toll in south Brazil rises to 75 as over 100 people remain missing

    Flooding death toll in south Brazil rises to 75 as over 100 people remain missing
    Officials in Rio Grande do Sul state say more than 80,000 have been displaced by record water levelsSeventy-five people are now known to have died in the flooding in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state, while more than 100 people remain missing, local authorities said on Sunday.The state’s civil defence authority said 101 people were unaccounted for and more than 80,000 had been displaced after record-breaking floods swept across the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina.
  • Flooding death toll in south Brazil rises to 66 as over 100 people remain missing

    Flooding death toll in south Brazil rises to 66 as over 100 people remain missing
    Officials in Rio Grande do Sul state say more than 80,000 have been displaced by record water levelsSixty-six people are now known to have died in the flooding in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state, while more than 100 people remain missing, local authorities said on Sunday.The state’s civil defence authority said 101 people were unaccounted for and more than 80,000 had been displaced after record-breaking floods swept across the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina. Con
  • Free Madonna concert draws crowd of 1.6m to Brazil’s Copacabana beach

    Free Madonna concert draws crowd of 1.6m to Brazil’s Copacabana beach
    Area around Rio de Janeiro beach filled for several blocks as singer closes her Celebration world tourMore than a million people have thronged Brazil’s Copacabana beach for a free Madonna concert, braving the heat to see the end of her Celebration world tour.The sand and oceanfront boulevard around Rio de Janeiro’s famed beach were filled for several blocks on Saturday night by a crowd the city estimated at 1.6 million. Continue reading...
  • Death toll from rains in southern Brazil rises to 57

    Death toll from rains in southern Brazil rises to 57
    Hundreds of cities across Rio Grande so Sul hit by floods with 32,000 people displaced and infrastructure destroyedThe death toll from rains in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to 57, local authorities said on Saturday afternoon, while dozens still have not been accounted for.The state’s civil defence authority said 67 people were still missing and more than 32,000 had been displaced as storms affected nearly two-thirds of the 497 cities in the state. Contin
  • Aerial footage shows scale of flooding in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul – video

    Aerial footage shows scale of flooding in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul – video
    Footage shows a flooded area in Rio Grande do Sul state after heavy rains have caused massive destruction in the region. Torrential downpours in the southern Brazilian state have killed dozens of people, with more than 70 still missing, as record-breaking floods devastated cities and forced thousands to leave their homesBrazil: 37 killed and dozens missing in worst floods in 80 years Continue reading...

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