Brazil

Antonio Cavalcante helped get a candidate for governor barred after showing that the politician had embezzled millions of dollars while he was a state legislator.

Lenira de Oliveira and her boyfriend were on trial for murder. Then an astonishing piece of evidence was submitted in their defense: a letter from the victim, as communicated to a medium.

There's virtually no Brazilian fare inside the World Cup stadiums, but outside you'll find proud vendors of traditional foods. They fought FIFA to be there, and surprisingly, they won.

With more than a million visitors expected for the games, Brazilian authorities are trying to control the mosquitoes that carry the disease and stop a sudden spike of cases in Sao Paulo.

In Brazil, evangelical Christians have made inroads into the Catholic community with innovations like drive-through prayer centers and massive outreach fairs featuring popular pastors and pop stars. In a nation long dominated by Catholics, about 22 percent of Brazilians now identify as evangelical.

The recent protests in Brazil highlighted poor public transportation services. Now, politicians who rely on frequent helicopter flights, even for short trips, are under scrutiny.

For decades, Brazilians migrated to Europe and the United States in search of better jobs and opportunities. But as Brazil's economy has grown, more and more of the world's desperate are coming to Brazil.

First came the day trips for foreigner tourists to the shantytowns. Now, young Westerners are living in formerly no-go areas — with yoga classes and sushi restaurants following. Business is booming in Rio de Janeiro's favelas, but some residents complain they're being priced out of the market.

Brazil has more household workers per capita than any other country. A new law in the South American nation expanded the rights of domestic workers. But despite the law being on the books now for almost two months, there is still a long way to go in changing the social dynamic in Brazil.