Sao Paulo - The World Social Forum is set to meet starting Tuesday in the northeastern Brazilian city of Belem, as the gathering gets renewed strength and meaning from the ongoing global financial and economic crisis.

This is the ninth edition of the forum, a self-declared "alternative" to the simultaneous World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Brasilia  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva congratulated new US President Barack Obama on Wednesday, and expressed a call for "fluent and profitable" dialogue and a "renewed friendship" between the two countries.

Madrid  - Brazilian giants Palmeiras announced on Wednesday that they have signed veteran Edmilson from Spanish club Villarreal, for an undisclosed fee.

According to Brazilian website Globoesporte, Edmilson, 32, has agreed to a two-year contract with Palmeiras, who are coached by Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

Villarreal have still not confirmed the departure of the Brazilian defender-cum-midfielder.

Edmilson joined Villarreal from Barcelona in July 2008, but has hardly played for the club.

London,

Sao Paulo  - The collapse of the roof during services at a Pentecostal church Sunday night in Sao Paulo left at least seven people dead, authorities said.

The failure of the so-called structure left at least 40 people injured, some seriously, according to media reports in Brazil.

It was unclear how many people were in the so-called temple building at the time of the disaster. A church representative said that 60 people were in attendance at the worship service, while witnesses described at least 150 and rescue workers said it could have been as high as 500.

Tokyo  - Demanding better job and housing security, a demonstration by 300 Brazilians and their supporters in Tokyo Sunday is just the latest sign of the impact that the global economic slowdown is having on Japan's Brazilian-based workforce.

Waving their national flags across the busy streets of central Tokyo, the demonstrators called out, "Give us a chance of employment," "Stop abandoning us" and "We don't have secured housing."

Many temporary Brazilian workers have lost jobs recently, primarily in the car and electronics industries, as Japanese exports have slumped due to the sluggish economy and the Japanese yen's gains against other currencies. Others have been informed of planned layoffs in the spring.