South America News

Brazilian police went on strike in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, risking a surge in crime just days before the beach city's famed carnival celebrations.

In the run-up to this city's huge Carnival, the cash register at the souvenir shop where Vania Alves works is normally buzzing as hoards of revelers scoop up rubber thong sandals, teeny bikinis and sarongs printed with the Brazilian flag.

Colombia's chief prosecutor's office said Thursday it was seeking the arrest of ex-President Alvaro Uribe's longtime peace commissioner for allegedly choreographing the bogus surrender of a column of leftist guerrillas.

Ecuador's foreign minister says police in Italy found nearly 90 pounds of cocaine in diplomatic mail sent to the Mediterranean country and two suspects have been arrested.

A police work stoppage would force authorities to deploy thousands of soldiers into the streets to provide security in this city of 6 million people that will host the 2014 World Cup finals and the 2016 Olympics.

Colombia's chief prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant for the peace commissioner of ex-President Alvaro Uribe for allegedly arranging a bogus demobilization of leftist guerrillas.

Argentina should be in no doubt that Britain will "defend the Falkland Islands properly" against any threat to its inhabitants' right to self-determination, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.

Striking police officers in the northeastern city of Salvador on Thursday evacuated the state legislative building they occupied in protest for more than a week.

For the current quarter, the company forecast per-share earnings of 64 cents to 67 cents on revenue growth of 9% to 12%, excluding its Brazil operations, above recent estimates of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters for earnings of 63 cents and revenue growth of 2% to $483 million.

An extradition agreement with Brazil in a 2003 local murder case is being carefully reviewed by a defense lawyer after the charge against his client was upgraded by a grand jury Wednesday to first-degree murder.

With her husband away doing search-and-rescue training in the Falkland Islands, Duchess Catherine was obliged to go solo to a private viewing of a new exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in London - her first public appearance as a representative of the royal family made without Will by her side.

Jennifer: Beverly Hills Beauty Plus, Vanessa Hudgens brings it to the Big Apple and Kourtney K. hits Hollywood.

Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA, failed to secure a $10 billion loan from Brazil's state-development bank needed to pay for its 40 percent stake in a Brazilian oil refinery, its partner, Petrobras, said on Tuesday.

Workers building and renovating Brazil's stadiums for the 2014 World Cup are threatening to go on strike if employers don't agree to their demands for unified salaries and benefits.

With the World Cup and Olympics looming, Rio de Janeiro has its hands full preparing to handle the influx of visitors who will besiege the city for the soccer tournament in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

About 300 striking police officers and their relatives held out Tuesday as soldiers blockaded a state legislature building in northeastern Brazil, and public worker leaders threatened a strike in Rio de Janeiro that could threaten the world's largest Carnival celebration.

Argentina will formally complain to the United Nations about Britain sending one of its most modern warships to the Falkland Islands, President Cristina Fernandez has said.

Firefighters remove rubble from a 14-story building that collapsed in downtown Sao Bernardo do Campo, about 25km south of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Journalists Juan Carlos Calderon , left, and Cristian Zurita announce at a news conference that they will appeal an Ecuadorean court order to pay $1 million each to President Rafael Correa, in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday Feb.

Outmatched time and again at the polls by President Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan's opposition leaders are trying a new strategy to unseat the populist leader this year, holding the nation's first presidential primary to choose the strongest challenger.