Latest Rio de Janeiro News

Paris Games: Welcome to the weird world of men’s soccer at the Olympics

Jun. 25, 2024 12:24 PM EDT

Kylian Mbappé wanted to be there. France coach Thierry Henry wanted it too. In the end, not even French president Emmanuel Macron could pull enough strings to free up his country's finest soccer player to compete in the Paris Games. Welcome to the weird of world of...

Woodman-Wickliffe eyes another Olympic gold in women's rugby, loves the Jonah Lomu comparisons

Jun. 24, 2024 09:25 AM EDT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — As a child, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe had competing dreams of sporting success. She adored New Zealand rugby great Jonah Lomu and wanted to be like him on the wing. But at the time, the pathway for girls in rugby was narrow and difficult to follow. ...

Whale-watching excursions off Rio de Janeiro's coast begin captivating tourists

Jun. 21, 2024 13:49 PM EDT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Famous for its beaches and vibrant parties in the Southern Hemisphere's summer, Rio de Janeiro now has an attraction for winter: humpback whales. The tourism agency of Niteroi, Rio's sister city across the Guanabara Bay, on Thursday launched a whale-watching...

New Petrobras chief is sworn in as market worries Brazil's government will have heavier hand

Jun. 20, 2024 02:14 AM EDT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The head of Brazil’s state-run oil giant Petrobras, Magda Chambriard, was sworn in Wednesday amid market concerns of increased government intervention in the company. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — who nominated Chambriard — attended the ceremony...

Outraged Brazilian women stage protests against bill to equate late abortions with homicide

Jun. 15, 2024 19:41 PM EDT

SAO PAULO (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Sao Paulo on Saturday as protests sweep across Brazil in opposition to a bill that would further criminalize abortions. If passed, the law would equate the termination of a pregnancy after 22 weeks with homicide. ...

Paris Olympics: What to know and who to watch during the shooting competition

Jun. 06, 2024 12:03 PM EDT

A roadmap to follow for the shooting competition during the Paris Olympics: Athletes to Watch —Vincent Hancock, United States: The most decorated Olympic skeet shooter of all time, Hancock has three gold medals in an event no one else has won more than once. Hancock,...

An overdue Olympic pledge to restore Rio de Janeiro’s lagoons is finally taking shape

Jun. 06, 2024 09:17 AM EDT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — When Rio de Janeiro hosted the Olympics in 2016, videos of the extensive lagoon complex surrounding the Olympic Park were everywhere. Long polluted by sewage and garbage, many hoped the surge of investments tied to the international sports event would restore its waterways....

Recovery of Brazil's Spix's macaw, popularized in animated 'Rio' films, threatened by climate change

May. 28, 2024 11:21 AM EDT

CURACA, Brazil (AP) — All Spix’s macaws are majestically blue in the blazing sun of Brazil's Northeast, but each bird is distinct to Candice and Cromwell Purchase. As the parrots soar squawking past their home, the couple can readily identify bird No. 17 by its smooth feathers and can tell No....

Rio de Janeiro bay reforestation shows mangroves' power to mitigate climate disasters

May. 24, 2024 13:42 PM EDT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — At the rear of Rio de Janeiro's polluted Guanabara Bay, thousands of mangroves rise as tall as 13 feet (about 4 meters) from a previously deforested area. The 30,000 trees, planted by non-profit organization Instituto Mar Urbano over four years in the...

Today in History: May 22, Lyndon B. Johnson outlines 'Great Society'

May. 22, 2024 00:11 AM EDT

Today in History Today is Wednesday, May 22, the 143rd day of 2024. There are 223 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 22, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson, speaking at the University of Michigan, outlined the goals of his...