Latest news with #SaoPaulo
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Inside the terrifying island where only soldiers and scientists are allowed to visit
This deadly island is swarming with 4,000 of the world's most lethal snakes and is deemed so dangerous that visiting it was been banned by the Brazilian government. Ilha de Queimada Grande sits 20 miles (32 km) off the coast of Sao Paolo, and is home to the golden lancehead viper. Understandably nicknamed 'Snake Island', the piece of land 4.6 million square feet (430,000 square metres) in size is the only place on Earth where Bothrops insularis, also known as the golden lancehead viper, is known to inhabit. The island is devoid of almost any human visitors, expect for a few scientists who are granted permission to study the snakes each year. It is also visited on occasion by the Brazilian navy, who tend to the autonomous lighthouse that was built back in 1909 before scampering clear. The island has come to be known as Snake Island with it being claimed there is one snake for every square metre. And it's also thought that poachers have been known to visit the island and claim a golden lancehead viper for their own, with their price fetching as high as £17,500 ($30,000) on the black market. The viper has been been evolving in isolation since rising sea levels cut the island off from the mainland 11,000 years ago, leaving the snakes on the island with limited sources of food. Migrating birds became the viper's main prey but the problem was, though, that most venoms take a while to act - sometimes as much as a few days. By the time the snake's venom killed the birds they would have moved elsewhere, so instead the snakes evolved an incredibly strong venom that can kill prey almost instantly. It is five times more potent than other snakes and can even melt human flesh. In humans, the bite from a golden lancehead viper carried a seven per cent chance of death. And before the island was deemed off-limits there were several stories of people succumbing to the deadly predators. One story tells of a fisherman who lost power in the engines of his boat. After drifting to the island he ventured inland, unaware of the terrors that lay in wait. When his boat was eventually discovered, he was found dead in a pool of blood covered in snake bites. The island has come to be known as Snake Island with it being claimed there is one snake for every square metr Another story is of the last lighthouse keeper to inhabit the island with his family. Rumour has it they ran in terror when snakes crawled in through their windows; their bodies were later found scattered across the island. The name of the island itself tells of its troubled history. Ilha de Queimada Grande roughly translates as 'the island of the slash-and-burn fire', so-called because of a failed attempt to develop a banana plantation on it. However, in the last 15 years the population of snakes on the island as reduced by as much as 15 per cent, due to a combination of vegetation removal and disease. And on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List the snakes are currently listed as critically endangered. With thousands of snakes remaining, however, it's probably still not the ideal holiday destination.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Leverkusen become first Bundesliga club to open academy in Brazil
The academy will be run by club legend Paulo Sergio and built on the Bayer Brazil campus in Sao Paulo, with space for up to 300 children between the ages of five and 15. With the academy set to open on July 5th, Sergio said that: 'Bayer Leverkusen is the perfect club in Europe for young talents who dream of becoming top players. Integration and training are core values of the club. I came to Leverkusen as a young player, and what I experienced there turned me into a top player and world champion.' Advertisement The former Leverkusen forward made 121 appearances for die Werkself between the years between the years of 1993 and 1997. Also speaking on the opening of the academy, Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro said that: 'The opening of our own football academy in Brazil is another milestone in our internationalisation strategy.' 'Bayer 04 and Brazil have had a very special connection for a long time. With the Bayer 04 football academy in Sao Paulo, we plan to inspire and support the next generation of footballers and Bayer 04 fans, while strengthening our ties with this football-loving country and working closely with our Bayer family in Brazil and Latin America.'
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bride reveals bizarre reason she arrived at her wedding in a hearse — and it's not because she thinks marriage kills joy
'Til death do us part. A bride who arrived at her own wedding in a hearse has revealed the reason she was chauffeured to the church in the unorthodox vehicle. Daniela Signor, 33, sparked social media chatter with the morbid stunt when she wed her partner Apollo Scariot, 31, earlier this month near Sao Paulo, Brazil. The newlywed's reason for the hearse hijinks: her new hubby is an undertaker. 'Everyone at the wedding was shocked, but during our vows we explained everything — we read out our story,' Signor told Jam Press. 'Then people understood why I arrived in the hearse.' Signor explained that she first laid eyes on Scariot at a service for a deceased acquaintance back in April 2023. Signor was so infatuated with Scariot that she subsequently started attending other burials organized by the funeral director in the hope of catching his eye. It took more than a year for Scariot to notice the frequent funeral attendee, but the two began dating last summer and are now wed. 'I used to think, 'I'll give the [grieving] family a hug just so I can see him,' you know? But he wasn't always there,' Signor stated. 'He had no idea — I only told him later, when we finally started talking. Then he was like, 'Wait, how did I never notice you before?' He was always so focused on work.' Scariot says he's shocked by the huge amount of publicity his new bride's wedding hearse stunt has generated, saying funerals are simply a part of their love story. 'We never expected it,' the undertaker uttered. 'We decided to arrive in the hearse from my company because it's part of our story — how we met. So, we were really surprised by the attention it got.'
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Brazil's lifelike doll craze goes from shopping malls to state legislatures
SAO PAULO (AP) — Videos featuring emotional moments with hyper-realistic baby dolls have sparked both online fascination and political debate in Brazil, with lawmakers even bringing the lifelike dolls into legislatures. Influencers have staged situations such as birth simulations and strolls in shopping malls with the hand-crafted baby figures, known as 'reborn' dolls, creating videos that have gone viral. In Rio de Janeiro, the city council has passed a bill honoring those who make the lifelike dolls, pending Mayor Eduardo Paes' signature. Meanwhile, legislators elsewhere across the country have debated fines for those seeking medical help for such dolls, following a video allegedly showing a woman taking one to a hospital. Lawmakers have brought the dolls into legislative chambers. On Tuesday, Joao Luiz, a state lawmaker from Amazonas, appeared with a doll at the State House to announce plans to ban reborn dolls from receiving care in the state's public health system. However, local media reported that health authorities had never recorded any such cases. Last week, congresswoman Talíria Petrone criticized the attention her colleagues were giving to the issue. 'Can we focus on what really matters? If someone wants to have a doll, let them. I have two real children and they're more than enough work,' she said. Dozens of 'reborn mothers' gathered at Villa Lobos Park, in Sao Paulo, on Saturday for a 10th annual meet-up. Participants say criticism should be aimed at attention-seeking influencers, not the broader community. The hyper-realistic baby dolls are often used for grief therapy or parenting practice. Berenice Maria, a nursing assistant and longtime collector who owns eight dolls, says they offer emotional comfort. 'I love reborns, despite the hate we see out there,' she said. 'I want the right to go out with them … go to the mall, go to the park.' Daniela Baccan, co-owner of a reborn doll shop in Campinas, Sao Paulo, said dolls sell from 700 reais ($124) to nearly 10,000 reais (nearly $1,800). With the rising controversy, safety concerns are increasing. 'We're locking up the store more, adding cameras,' Baccan said. 'But at the same time, online demand has increased, and the store is seeing a much higher flow of people.' ___
Arab News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Marta returns to Brazil's national team for friendly matches against Japan
SAO PAULO: Marta is back. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The six-time world player of the year has returned to Brazil's national team for friendlies against Japan on Friday and Monday in Sao Paulo. While it remains to be seen whether she'll play, her inclusion on the roster suggests she may not be ready to retire just yet. The 39-year-old announced last year that she would step down from the national team following the Paris Olympics. The Brazilians went on to win the silver medal after a 1-0 loss in the final to the US. She has continued to play for her club team, the Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League. Last season, Marta scored 11 goals with the Pride, who won the NWSL title. She re-signed with the team through 2026 earlier this year. 'Marta has had a great season and has been very important for her club, which is the league champion,' Brazil coach Arthur Elias told reporters when he announced the roster. 'Her presence in some callups is very important for the younger players, for the renewal that is taking place in the national team.' The matches against Japan are important for Brazil to prepare for the Copa America, which opens in July in Ecuador. Brazil are the defending champion. 'She's a very important person for our group, for the other girls who are just arriving. I've already told her to retire when she's about 45, around there. As long as she's well, I'll be encouraging her to continue with us,' Brazil defender Tarciane said in a press conference ahead of the matches against Japan. 'And there's no way we can be without Marta. I can't see the national team now without Marta, because we need her, we need everything she's experienced in women's football, and she needs to live this moment too.' Marta has played in 185 matches for Brazil. In her last, in the Olympic final, she was emotional as she came off the field. She insisted her tears were not because of the loss or her retirement, but because of pride for having medaled. 'I am crying out of gratitude, happiness. I am not crying because we won silver. Look at how much we had to overcome to win this silver,' she said. Better known just by her first name, Marta Vieira da Silva has scored a record 119 goals for Brazil. She was just 17 when she appeared at the 2003 World Cup, held in the US. She has the career record for most World Cup goals with 17, and she has 13 Olympic goals, one shy of compatriot Cristiane's record. Brazil is hosting the 2027 Women's World Cup, leading to some speculation that she might try to play in the game's biggest tournament on home soil. She has said in the past that she's willing to help Brazil in any way possible. 'Having this opportunity to share a dressing room with Marta, not only for the national team but also for the club, is a privilege,' midfielder Angelina said after training on Wednesday. 'You never imagine that you will be sharing a dressing room with your idol.'
