Brazil Govt. Targets Carnival Debauchery

Money dries up, but Brazil keeps on partying

(NEWSER) - Wednesday is the start of Lent, but until then millions are sambaing in the streets of Brazil in the days-long bacchanal known as Carnival. While the celebrations in Rio de Janiero are as big as ever, the economic crisis is taking its toll on the massive party. Corporate sponsorship for the multimillion-dollar productions has dried up, reports AFP, and the federal and local governments have had to step in. More»

Cheaper pills give poor women same right to family planning, says president

(NEWSER) - Just weeks after Pope Benedict XVI decried contraception as a threat to the future of Latin America on his visit to Brazil, Brazil's president announced that the government would subsidize birth control pills at private pharmacies so poor women can have "the same right that the wealthy have to plan the number of children they want." More»

Sustainable condom project to use Amazon rubber

(NEWSER) - Brazil has unrolled an ambitious plan to preserve vast areas of the Amazon rainforest by tapping its rubber trees to make sustainable condoms. Most "rubbers" are now made from cheaper synthetic materials, but officials of the Brazilian government—which buys 1 billion condoms a year—say the project will reduce its dependence on imports and give local people a livelihood dependent on trees which ensures they will battle deforestation. More»

(NEWSER) - Judging by the average convenience store condom selection, men with small penises do not exist. Selling small condoms is difficult for marketers, so most brands have opted not to bother, writes Menachem Kaiser of the Atlantic . LifeStyles’ “Snugger Fit” designation is about as straightforward as it gets. Durex has a complicated sizing chart, and Trojan has a Starbucks-like sizing system; its condoms come in Regular, Large, and Extra Large. More»

Rio spotlight too much for youngest drum corps queen

(NEWSER) - In the end it wasn't the angry child welfare advocates or the family court judge that hampered seven-year-old samba queen Julia Lira from carrying out her controversial role at the Rio de Janeiro carnival: It was Lira herself. Lira broke down in tears just 10 minutes into last night's parade, confirming critics' fears that she was too young to be a samba queen—a highly sexual role usually reserved for adult models and actresses, the London Times reports. More»