Samba Queen, 7, Sparks Uproar

We're not all Gisele Bundchen, says a Copacabana mom

(NEWSER) - Tall and tanned and young and lovely ... and packing on the pounds. The girl from Ipanema isn't quite so svelte any longer, and barely-there Brazilian bikinis are finally expanding with her increasing girth. A number of manufacturers are now peddling plus-size versions that are popping up on beaches. "It used to be bikinis were only in tiny sizes that only skinny girls could fit into. But not everyone is built like a model," says a mom soaking up the rays at Copacabana beach. "Finally people are beginning to realize that we're not all Gisele Bundchen." The director of Lehona, one of the first Brazilian companies to launch a line of bigger bikinis, said designers "work from the principle that bigger women are just like everyone else: They don't want to look like old ladies, wearing these very modest, very covering swimsuits in just black." More»

Two high-rises fall, witnesses suspect gas

(NEWSER) - At least 11 people are feared dead after the collapse of two high-rise buildings in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Emergency rescue workers were scrambling to dig out any survivors, and managed to free five people. The buildings, one 20 stories tall, crushed a four-story construction site nearby, and buried the surrounding streets and cars in rubble and dust. Officials are uncertain of a cause, but area witnesses reported smelling gas before the buildings collapsed. "It was like an earthquake," a witness told the BBC . First, some pieces of the buildings started to fall down. People started to run. And then it all fell down at once." More»

Brazilians not allowed to ban booze, soccer chief says

(NEWSER) - Banning beer at the 2014 World Cup is not an option, FIFA chief Jerome Valcke has warned Brazil. The world soccer kingpin, visiting the country for an inspection tour, says he isn't happy about the state of Brazil's infrastructure, the pace of construction at stadiums and, in particular, a government squabble over alcohol sales at the 12 venues that will host the World Cup, the BBC reports. More»

Male participant booted off Big Brother reality show over allegations

(NEWSER) - A potential new low in reality-TV land: Brazil police have opened an investigation into a possible sexual assault that occurred on camera, reports AP and the Guardian . A 31-year-old male participant on Big Brother Brazil is accused of assaulting a 23-year-old woman on the show after she passed out following a party. Grainy images shot by broadcaster TV Globo that aired on the show's pay-per-view version show the two in bed together. More»

Steer clear of these dangerous locales

(NEWSER) - If you're jonesing for a trip on the wild side, well, you'd probably still better steer clear of the 10 worst places in the world. Gadling.com rounds up these impoverished and war-stricken locales, and advises avoiding them in 2012:

• Harare, Zimbabwe: This city spiraled into turmoil when inflation surged, eventually hitting 231,150,000% per year in 2008. Unemployment hit 80%, services collapsed, and now most of Harare is in ruins.