Rio de Janeiro  - Young foreign tourists who travelled to Brazil for the world-famous Rio de Janeiro Carnival were facing an unexpected threat Thursday: the raids of criminal gangs on youth hostels in the city.

In just 24 hours, police investigated two such raids, affecting at least 50 tourists, most of them foreigners.

Rio de Janeiro  - A violent Sunday left one person dead and over 40 injured in clashes between rival football hooligans in the Brazilian cities of Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte, the authorities said Monday.

The most serious incident happened in Belo Horizonte, where a 20- year-old supporter of Atletico Mineiro was shot dead. Two people shot him from a motorbike while he waited at a bus stop to go to the Mineirao stadium, where his team was to play Cruzeiro.

Rio de Janeiro  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Thursday that he prays for US President Barack Obama to be successful in his efforts to overcome the ongoing economic and financial crisis.

"I pray for him more than I pray for myself, that he may find a way out for the United States. And who knows whether that may help solve the problem for other countries," Lula said as he opened a hydroelectric plant in the central Brazilian state of Tocantins.

Rio de Janeiro - At least nine people, including a teenager, died Wednesday as police raided four slums in Rio de Janeiro in the fight against drug trafficking.

According to the city's Civil Defence Department, about 300 police officers took part in the operation in the favelas (slums) of Coreia, Taquaral, Rebu and Vila Aliança, in western Rio.

Police chief Rodrigo Oliveira claimed at least six of the dead were criminals. Police seized firearms and arrested three alleged drug dealers.

Rio de Janeiro - Milan superstar Kaka is the main attraction of the Brazil team that is set to play Italy in a high-profile friendly game on February 10 in London.

Brazil national coach Carlos Dunga made public Monday a list that also featured strikers Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato - Kaka's colleagues at Milan - as well as Manchester City's Robinho.

The friendly at the Emirates Stadium will pit Brazil - the winner of a record five editions of the World Cup - against current World Champion Italy - who also won three other editions of the tournament.

Rio de Janeiro - Cuban President Raul Castro hailed as "historic" Tuesday the first Latin American-Caribbean Conference, which was taking place Tuesday and Wednesday in the northeastern Brazilian seaside resort of Costa do Sauipe.

Speaking as a guest before leaders of the Mercosur trade bloc - which was holding its own summit along with those of three other organizations in the resort close to Salvador de Bahia - Castro said his country had a "brotherhood without restrictions" in relation to all efforts for integration in the region.