Imagine the biggest party in the world – Rio Carnival attracted more than 8m ... from the top window of their apartment to cool the crowd below – the daytime heat reaching 40C.

Rio de Janeiro residents and tourists baked Monday in scorching temperatures as the city's crowded pre-Carnival street parties swung into full gear. The Rio Alert system recorded 44 degrees ...

Ricardo Moraes / Reuters Performers from the Grande Rio samba school ... The 82-year-old singer-songwriter waved at the crowd during the parade. Antonio Lacerda / EPA Despite their impressive ...

Just a few minutes from the school parades in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome ... and assembling floats and instruments. Carnival creates some 50,000 jobs throughout the year, without taking into ...

Rio's big carnival action comes on Sunday and Monday ... but we are a very democratic band and we always do our best to please the crowd," said Pedro Ernesto Araujo Marinho, Bola Preta's vice ...

A sizzling weekend in Rio saw residents crowd beaches while a leading samba school canceled its parade rehearsal on Copacabana beach. Meanwhile, some of the world's top tennis stars will face the ...