Brazil confirms missing plane debris found

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim said Tuesday that the authorities are certain they found the remains of the missing Air France passenger plane around midday in the Atlantic Ocean.

Brazil confirms Air France jet crashed in ocean after finding large amount of debris

FERNANDO DE NORONHA, Brazil — Brazilian military planes found a 3-mile (5-kilometer) path of wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean, confirming that an Air France jet carrying 228 people crashed in the sea, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said Tuesday. Jobim told reporters in Rio de Janeiro that the discovery “confirms that the plane went down in that area,” hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.

Brazilian military pilots searching for missing Air France jet spot debris in Atlantic Ocean

FERNANDO DE NORONHA, Brazil — Brazilian military pilots hunting Tuesday for a missing Air France jet spotted an airplane seat, an orange buoy and signs of fuel in a part of the Atlantic Ocean with depths of up to three miles. Brazil’s Navy said three commercial ships in the area were joining the search and France said it would send a ship capable of deep-water exploration. A U.S. spy plane was also diverted from drug interdiction efforts to help with the effort.

NJ man arrives in Brazil hoping to reclaim custody of son after courts there rule in his favor

NEWARK, N.J. — A New Jersey father hopes to bring his son home from Brazil as early as Wednesday, following a multiyear custody battle that reached the highest levels of both the Brazilian and U.S. governments.

Brazil military spots debris in mid-Atlantic; civilian ships join search for Air France jet

FERNANDO DE NORONHA, Brazil — Brazilian military pilots hunting Tuesday for a missing Air France jet spotted an airplane seat, an orange buoy and signs of fuel in a part of the Atlantic Ocean with depths of up to three miles.

Stormy seas, heavy clouds hamper Atlantic Ocean search for missing Air France jet

RIO DE JANEIRO — Stormy seas and heavy clouds hampered the search Tuesday for wreckage of Air France Flight 447, which disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean with 228 people aboard. French investigators said a series of extraordinary events likely brought the airliner down.

Rescuers scan Atlantic for Air France jet as officials set aside fears of terrorism, lightning

RIO DE JANEIRO — Searchers raced against the clock Tuesday to find wreckage of Air France Flight 447, which disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean with 228 people aboard. French investigators said a series of extraordinary events likely brought the airliner down.

Investigators about disappearance over Atlantic of Air France jet with 228 aboard

RIO DE JANEIRO — Was Air France Flight 447 downed by wind and hail from towering thunderheads? By lightning? Or by a catastrophic combination of factors?

Search continues for missing Air France jet with 228 aboard (Lead)

RIO DE JANEIRO/PARIS - Search efforts were renewed early Tuesday as 228 people were feared dead in the crash of an Air France jet in the Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Brazilian pilot reports possible sighting of disappeared French plane’s wreckage

RIO DE JANEIRO - A pilot from Brazil’s airline TAM possibly spotted a burning piece of wreckage on the Atlantic Ocean while he was crossing the Atlantic early Monday morning.

Searches on both sides of vast Atlantic Ocean for Air France jet missing with 228 people

RIO DE JANEIRO — An Air France jet with 228 people on a flight to Paris vanished over the Atlantic Ocean after flying into towering thunderstorms and sending an automated message that the electrical system had failed. A vast search began Monday, but all aboard were feared killed.

French airliner missing over Atlantic with 228 on board (Fifth Lead)

PARIS/RIO DE JANEIRO - An Air France flight with 228 people on board was lost over the Atlantic Monday morning and is presumed to have crashed into the sea.

A look at the Airbus A330-200 jet, after one disappeared over Atlantic Ocean in thunderstorm

Some details about the Airbus A330-200 jets, after one disappeared Monday en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Tentative timeline of disappearance of Air France jet en route from Rio to Paris

Timeline of events surrounding the disappearance of Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, according to Air France, Brazilian Air Force. All times in Brazilian local time:

Air France jet missing with 228 people over Atlantic after running into thunderstorms

SAO PAULO — An Air France jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris ran into a towering wall of thunderstorms and disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean. French President Nicolas Sarkozy told families of those aboard Monday that “prospects of finding survivors are very small.”

French airliner missing over Atlantic, 228 on board (Third Lead)

PARIS/RIO DE JANEIRO - An Air France flight with 228 people on board has been lost over the Atlantic Monday morning, sparking a major search mission off the Brazilian coast.

Air France says missing plane over Atlantic hit strong turbulence, signaled electric problems

PARIS — Air France says the Airbus jet that disappeared en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris sent an automatic signal indicating electrical problems while going through an area of strong turbulence.

French airliner missing over Atlantic, 228 on board (Second Lead)

PARIS/RIO DE JANEIRO - An Air France flight with 228 people on board went missing over the Atlantic Monday morning, sparking a major search and rescue mission off the Brazilian coast, according to reports in both countries.

11 killed in Brazil plane crash

RIO DE JANEIRO - Eleven people have been killed when the aircraft in which they were travelling crashed in northeast Brazil, media reports said Saturday.

Samaranch jnr criticises judge of Operacion Puerto

MADRID - Sheer stupidity: that is how Juan Antonio Samaranch jr. describes how the Spanish Judiciary is dealing with the Operacion Puerto doping case, which could become a threat to Madrid’s aspirations of hosting the 2016 Olympics.

Brazilian swimmer breaks world record in 50-meter breaststroke

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian swimmer Felipe Franca has set a new world record in the 50-meter breaststroke clocking 26.89 seconds at a match here.

Treading where the state does not, Brazil’s evangelical preachers target drug lords

RIO DE JANEIRO — It is the scene of an old-time revival, with Pastor Andre Assis laying hands on the young man and diving deep into a religious chant.

14 dead, over 70,000 affected in Brazil floods

RIO DE JANEIRO - At least 14 people have died and more than 70,000 affected in flash floods in northern Brazil, officials said Tuesday.

Madrid 2016 Olympic bid says claims of spying on rival Rio de Janeiro have been exaggerated

MADRID — Madrid’s 2016 Olympics bid said Tuesday that accusations it spied on a rival candidate had been blown out of proportion.

Renowned Brazilian theater director Augusto Boal dies at age 78

RIO DE JANEIRO — Augusto Boal, the Brazilian theater director and playwright known for the interactive genre called the “Theater of the Oppressed,” died Saturday. He was 78.

Chicago bid team reaffirms support of President Barack Obama for 2016 Olympics

MILAN — The leaders of Chicago’s 2016 Olympic effort promised unprecedented political support for their bid, once again underlining the backing of President Barack Obama.

Former FIFA chief asks IOC to pick Rio as 2016 Olympics city

RIO DE JANEIRO - Former FIFA president Joao Havelange, one of the most important personalities in the history of Brazilian sport, asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to chose Rio de Janeiro as the host of the 2016 Olympics.

Brazil slave labor complaints rise, mostly linked to sugarcane production

RIO DE JANEIRO — Reports of debt slavery reached record numbers in Brazil last year, and most of the cases were connected to the nation’s booming sugarcane ethanol sector, according to a report released Wednesday by a watchdog group.

Foreign investment in Brazil falls 39 percent

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil received $5.34 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) during the first quarter of 2009, down 39.2 percent from the same period in 2008, the country’s central bank has said.

Brazil’s main stock index hits highest level in six months

RIO DE JANEIRO - The Sao Paulo Stock Exchange’s Ibovespa index was up 3.07 points Thursday, reaching 45,538 points, the highest level registered since October 2008.