Brazilian health minister vows to increase vaccinations

At least nine people were wounded and around 500 families had to abandon their residences in Brazil's southern Sao Paulo state. The torrential rainfall is expected to continue until Tuesday.

We look at reactions from the Brazilian press after the deadly beating of a young Congolese man over back pay at his beachside kiosk job. Also, as the Beijing Winter Games get underway, there's little cheer as drastic Covid-19 restrictions and limited freedom of speech overshadow the opening ceremony. Finally, UK's Royal Mail is investigating after some of its workers got high on weed cookies!

The death toll from heavy rains and mudslides in the city of Petropolis in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state has risen to 104, authorities said late Wednesday, Feb. 16. At least 54 homes have been destroyed and 370 people are being housed in shelters, according to a report by the Brazilian news portal G1.

In a crime that shocked Brazil, 24-year-old Congolese refugee Moise Mugenyi Kabagambe was beaten to death in January. The worker at a beach kiosk in Rio de Janeiro had simply asked that his employers pay his overdue wages. His brutal xenophobic killing highlights the deeply rooted racism in Brazilian society. According to the latest Atlas of Violence, in 2019 in Brazil, 77% of homicide victims were Black.

At least 14 people have died in Rio de Janeiro state after heavy rainfall triggered mudslides this weekend. Brazil has lately been reeling from a pattern of destructive storms.

At least 14 people have died in Rio de Janeiro state after heavy rainfall triggered mudslides this weekend. Brazil has lately been reeling from a pattern of destructive storms.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said his announcement of scrapping obligatory isolation for people infected with COVID was a mistake and sent the wrong signal.

Brazil has more than three million "ghost citizens": people who don't have a birth certificate or ID card. In administrative terms they do not exist and have no access to public health care or education. They also can't vote. But in the run-up to October's elections, these people could constitute a potential political force. Our correspondents Perrine Juan, Louise Raulais and Tim Vickery take a closer look at the legal and social workers who are trying to help "ghost citizens".

The imprisonment and political exclusion of former President Lula da Silva was a violation of his rights, the UN has said. Lula is currently leading in polls for October's presidential election.

While the official threshold for a COVID wave has not yet been reached, South Africa is facing a surge of infections driven by omicron sub-variants.

At the beginning of December, Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, said he would make sure that fuel prices go down. Just the opposite has happened, and now unrest in the South American country is growing.

The catastrophic weather has forced dozens to flee their homes in Brazil's northeastern Pernambuco state. A red alert has been issued in the city of Recife for Sunday as well.