Inspired by the separatist vote in Catalonia, secessionists in three wealthy southern Brazilian states are redoubling their efforts to break away from the crisis-battered nation. Residents of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana states are being called to vote in an informal plebiscite on Oct. 7 on whether they want independence. Organizers are also urging residents of the three states to... 

A man and a woman struggle to cross a flooded road in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, June 29, 2014. An emergency agency in Brazil says severe flooding caused by torrential rain in the southern parts of the country has forced more than 50,000 people out of their homes. The emergency agency for Santa Catarina State said 40,000 people had been evacuated, while in neighboring state, Rio Grande... 

A shoal of piranhas has attacked bathers in the Argentinian province of Rosario, injuring 70 people and resulting in amputations. Officials have suggested the freak incident was caused by the unusually high temperatures at the time of the attack. The attack occurred on the beaches of Rambla Catalunya on the river Parana, where around 9,000 people had gathered on Christmas Day to escape the heat wave...