Dozens of senior police officers in Rio de Janeiro resigned to protest the dismissal of a commander, throwing the Brazilian city's security forces into crisis as its famed and raucous Carnival celebrations began.

A Brazilian judge has banned a float portraying the Holocaust from taking part in this year's carnival in Rio de Janeiro. The judge also banned the use of Adolf Hitler costumes and swastikas in Sunday's parade.

A speeding train travelling at 100 km per hour carrying hundreds of commuters slammed into an empty train near Rio de Janeiro, killing eight people and injuring more than 80.

"I have been shocked to see that children could still die of hunger in Rio de Janeiro..."

The 15th Pan American Games have opened with a glittering ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As VOA's David Byrd reports, the ceremony featured dancers, drummers, puppets, and the Games' symbol of the Sun in a bounding celebration entitled Share the Energy.