LUCAS DUMPHREYS

Associated Press
Drum queen Fabiola de Andrade from the Mocidade samba school smiles during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
With flicks of the wrist, Rio Carnival’s drum maestros keep everyone locked in on the beat
Subtle hand signs coordinate the hundreds of pounding drummers in each of Rio de Janeiro’s glitzy Carnival parades. For many samba fanatics, drums are the beating heart of the party.
 
Prosecutors find workers in ‘slavery like’ conditions at Chinese car company site in Brazil
A task force led by Brazilian prosecutors says it has rescued 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like” conditions at a construction site in northeastern Brazil, where Chinese electric vehicle company BYD is building a factory.
 
A firefighter dressed as Santa Claus drives a Jet Ski by Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
Brazilian Santa swaps sleigh for Jet Ski to deliver toys — and joy — to disabled children in Rio
Dozens of children with disability gathered on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach on Tuesday to receive presents — and joy — from the white-bearded man, a joint effort by the city’s firefighters and nonprofit associations.
 
Gamblers in recovery attend a Gamblers Anonymous meeting in Sao Paulo, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
As sports betting addiction takes hold in Brazil, the government moves to crack down
The story of “King,” who doesn’t disclose his real name, is similar to that of many vulnerable Brazilians in recent years. The country has become the third-biggest market in the world for sports betting, following the U.S. and the U.K.
 
Wind turbines are visible in the distance of Sumidouro, Piaui state, Brazil, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Wind energy is booming in Brazil's Northeast, but some projects are drawing criticism as it becomes clear that certain communities have benefited while others have not. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Wind power expansion meets grassroots resistance in Brazil’s Northeast
Wind energy is booming in Brazil’s dry and windy Northeast, but some projects are drawing criticism as it becomes clear that certain communities have benefited while others have not.
 
Wildfires consume an area near the Transpantaneira, also known as MT-060, a road that crosses the Pantanal wetlands, near Pocone, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Fires in Brazil threaten jaguars, houses and plants in the world’s largest tropical wetlands
In the first two weeks of November, fires fueled by unusually dry and hot weather destroyed nearly 770,000 hectares (1.9 million acres) of the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetlands.