Although initially developed by the Portuguese, who first set foot here in 1500, the Brazilian fishing town of Trancoso remained virtually undiscovered until a small group of Paulistano hippies came upon it in the 1970s and happily settled in. Although the installation of new roads and the arrival of electricity a decade later increased accessibility, the vibe was set: Trancoso remains a sleepy, bohemian beach destination.
A bus returning from a religious festival in northeast Brazil has veered off the road on a curve and overturned, killing at least 16 people, including four children, officials said. The bus had been carrying about 60 people when it tipped over in the rural interior of Alagoas state on Tuesday, ejecting some passengers while others were trapped beneath the wreckage.
A parade float praising Brazil's president Lula strode through Rio's Sambadrome, drawing contreversy and triggering lawsuits. A carnival float in Rio de Janeiro's world-famous carnival parade was the center of a controversy over Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his upcoming bid for reelection. Critics of the president accused him of improperly using the nation's high-profile Carnaval celebrations for political campaigning.
