Born into a poor, mixed-race Amazon family, Marina Silva is on the verge of a stunning election win after taking over her party It started with the national anthem and ended with a rap. In between came a poignant minute's silence, politicised football chants and a call to action by the woman tipped to become the first Green national leader on the planet. The unveiling in São Paulo of Brazilian...
The spiritual home of football has made huge advances over the last 20 years, but the struggle with racism and poverty continues Brazil, by both area and population, is the fifth-largest nation on earth. Its economy is perhaps the sixth- or seventh-largest and will soon surpass those of France and Britain. Yet this great state has barely registered its presence globally. In the complex flux of globalised...
With the World Cup less than three weeks away, Pilar Olivares has been photographing football pitches in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro Continue reading... ...
Brazilian graffiti artists join demonstrations against the Brazil World Cup, using the streets as a canvass to express their discontent. Protesters are angry about the government spending billions on World Cup infrastructure rather than basic public services. Graffiti artist Paulo Ito says the World Cup is an ideal platform for residents to demand action from the government Continue reading... ...
As the tournament approaches, health experts step up efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and raise awareness Brazil has the highest incidence of dengue fever in the world . Last year, cases spiralled to a new high of 1.4 million and the trend shows no signs of abating. São Paulo, host city for the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup on June 12, battled a major dengue outbreak this...
Brazilian officials warn of potential problems over mobile phone coverage for tournament dogged by overspending and protests The World Cup squads are preparing to fly, the performers for the opening ceremony are in rehearsal, and Fifa officials have finally taken the reins for the run-in to Brazil 2014. But with less than three weeks until the competition kicks off on 12 June, the venue for the first...
Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb asks Brazil's protesters not to use the World Cup as a soapbox for social issues. Webb agrees change is needed in the country, but says the World Cup is not the right platform. He also addresses racism in the Italian football community following a recent incident involving Mario Balotelli Continue reading... ...
In the wake of recent protests, we asked our readers in Brazil to help us gauge the mood in the country as the World Cup approaches "The government hopes if the Brazil team became champions, poor people will forget about the their miserable lives and horrendous public services. So, for the first time in my life I will not support the Brazil national football team." This is the opinion of...
When it comes to sustainability, Brazilians should look around and learn from the apathy and advocacy in other markets In terms of mainstreaming sustainability, Brazil looks great on paper. GlobeScan report a high level of advocacy, social change has mainstream appeal and Brazilian businesses are spending more than countries such as the UK, Germany and Australia on sustainability. You'd be forgiven...
The plight of Brazil's armadillo, which is near extinction, gains increased attention after being named official mascot of the 2014 World Cup. Officials at Rio de Janeiro's zoo says there has been a spike in visitors since the armadillo was given the title. The three-banded armadillo is in danger of extinction, largely because of deforestation and hunting in northeastern Brazil Continue reading......
Union, concerned over players health, threatens legal action Governing body says it spent two years analysing start times Fifa said on Wednesday it was not considering changing kick-off times or adding mandatory cooling breaks during World Cup matches, despite being sued by Brazils players union because of health concerns. World footballs governing body said it spent nearly two years analysing starting...
Former Brazilian striker Ronaldo plays football at a favela in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro ahead of the 2014 World Cup. Ronaldo helps launch a tournament organised by the Fifa Football for Hope Festival, which looks to bring social change through football. The tournament will run along side the official World Cup, which begins 12 June. Continue reading... ...
Brazil is gearing up to host 600,000 foreign tourists for the 2014 World Cup, which kicks off on 12 June. All sorts of merchandise is being prepared for the football aficionados Continue reading... ...
Water is rationed as reservoirs fall to record lows. While the water company blames drought, critics say the crisis was avoidable Less than a month before São Paulo hosts the opening game of the World Cup, the biggest city in South America is struggling to overcome a water shortage following one of the driest summers on record. Residents in some districts say their water is shut off at night...
Not-for-profit organisation Football Beyond Borders is helping to organise an alternative tournament for some of Brazil's poorer residents, many of whom have no chance of affording a ticket to the real thing It could justifiably be described as the biggest party on the planet. But as kick-off for the World Cup approaches, the reality dawning on many of Brazil's poorer residents is that not everyone...
It began at a Rio barbecue. Now passinho's Sugarloaf all-stars are jinking out of the Brazilian favelas and onto a world stage " Congratulations to all of us who chose dance instead of drugs," reads the latest hourly Facebook update from Cebolinha, a tough and rangy 24-year-old who is one of the pioneers of the passinho Brazilian urban dance craze. Coming from Piedade in Rio de Janeiro's...
Facebook users in the EU, Colombia, South Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand and Brazil will all be able to broadcast their status as voters Facebook is rolling out its "I'm a voter" feature worldwide, after the app's success in the Indian elections in early May. More than four million Indian voters clicked the button, registering that they had voted during the country's parliamentary elections,...
The Brazilian government has overspent on World Cup stadiums, but destructive protests are not the answer, warns Pelé. He says the protests are only adding to the problem, costing the government more money and scaring off tourists. The Brazil star argues that as many as 25% of foreigners looking to attend the World Cup have expressed concern over recent demonstrations. Continue reading... ...
Britain's police lead on football says Brazilian counterparts are concerned about potential clashes 'given shared history' British police chiefs are concerned that violent Argentinian gangs are planning to travel to Brazil and target England fans during next month's World Cup. Britain's police lead on football, deputy chief constable Andy Holt, said he had been warned by his counterparts in Brazil...
Brazil has experienced strikes and unrest in the lead-up to the tournament. Live in Brazil? Whether involved in the protests or not, we'd like to hear what you think about the World Cup Brazil has been experiencing protest and strikes as the country prepares to host its first football World Cup since 1950. Demonstrations were held in cities across the country on Thursday, and though these protests...