Meet the boys and girls from Brazil who have begun a year’s study at University College Cork as part of the world’s largest scholarship scheme.

THE two-year-old boy who had nearly three dozen sewing needles shoved into his body by his stepfather is expected to undergo another surgery this week, doctors said yesterday.

The stepfather of a two-year-old boy claimed he pushed 42 "blessed" sewing needles deep into a toddler because his lover told him to, police in Brazil said today.

A TODDLER who had more than 40 sewing needles pushed into his body by his step-father was airlifted to a specialist hospital for emergency treatment yesterday.

A toddler's step-father today admitted sticking more than 40 needles deep into the boy's body, claiming it was a religious ritual.

A commuter bus rear-ended a fuel truck in southern Brazil, killing nine people and injuring 17, authorities said today.

A teenage girl was plucked from the ocean today, the only apparent survivor from an airliner crash that killed 152 people.

Brazil’s health authorities said the number of known dengue cases in the northeastern state of Bahia has soared by more than 250% so far this year.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are relaxing in a posh Brazilian beach resort, according to local news reports.

A DEADLY soccer stadium accident in Brazil over the weekend has exposed grossly inadequate infrastructure in the country that will host the World Cup in 2014.

Pop beauty Britney spears is planning an exotic honeymoon in Brazil with her fiance Kevin Federline, according to her pals.

Ford has opened a $1.3 billion car factory in Brazil's north eastern state of Bahia.

Ford has opened a $1.3bn car factory in Brazil's north eastern state of Bahia.

Jorge Amado - the best-selling author in Brazil's history - has died in hospital. He was 88.