News in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Metro Attempts to Reach Barra by 2016

By Mira Olson, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO - The recent attention on Rio’s metro subway system has citizens wondering whether the proposed extension to Barra will be ready in time for the 2016 Olympic Games. Nevertheless, progress is being made and seemingly ahead of schedule; the new Praça General Osório station in Ipanema, scheduled to open in 2010, was inaugurated in last December, a sign that the metro is well on its way to meeting the 2016 target….

Serra Given Early Lead in Polls

By Pedro Widmar, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO - Just weeks away from the beginning of what will undoubtedly prove to be months of fierce presidential campaigning, José Serra, current governor of Sao Paulo, remains in a strong position. Despite not having formalized his candidacy, Serra continues to come out on top in both simulated and spontaneous polls.

The Serra camp has faced some difficulties in recent weeks with attacks made …

NGO Uses Fashion to Heal Families

By Mira Olson, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO - The embroidered handbags and handcrafted necklaces showcased during Fashion Rio 2010 this January were not only famous collections or made exclusively for fashion and profit. Among the designers were also mothers from Rio’s most impoverished neighborhoods, and their work aims to help reconstruct families—primarily their own.

This initiative is part of a program executed by Refazer, a non-profit organization that works with …

The Super Bowl in Rio

By Jayme Monsanto, Senior Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO - Next Sunday, the United States of America will stop to watch the 44th edition of the NFL (National Football League) Super Bowl, the biggest sporting event in the country. The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints promise a clash of epic proportions, and expectations are high.

Super …