Rio de Janeiro - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, to debate ways to increase cooperation and mutual investment between the countries.

Brazilian governmental advisors said that the talks were also set to include the international financial crisis, which is already having negative effects on both countries, though Medvedev said both Russia and Brazil are in a position to get over it.

"We are leaders in economic growth. No obstacle can prevent that setting. Brazil and Russia will get over the crisis," Medvedev said.

Rio de Janeiro  - At least 84 people have died in flooding and landslides in a southern Brazilian state since the weekend in one of the worst weather-related catastrophes to hit the South American country in decades, authorities said.

The death toll in Santa Catarina state could rise substantially because a large number of people were missing, a civil defence spokesman said Tuesday.

A total of 1.5 million people were affected by the flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains, and more than 54,000 people were forced to flee their homes, media reports said.

Four cities have been declared disaster zones and eight municipalities had been cut off from the outside world as floodwaters inundated roads, state authorities said.

Rio de Janeiro - The number of people killed in accidents linked to heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina rose to 72 Tuesday, while several of the 30 towns affected by the disaster were starting to experience looting and sharp rises in food prices.

According to the latest report by Civil Defence authorities, close to 54,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes and 137,000 homes had no power.

According to state authorities, four cities had declared a state of catastrophe and eight municipalities had been cut off from the outside world.

Civil Defence officials warned that the number of dead could continue to rise, since several people remained missing in the wake of collapses of buildings and mudslides.

Rio de Janeiro - The number of people killed in accidents linked to heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina rose to 65 Tuesday, while close to 50,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes and more than 20,000 were left homeless.

According to state authorities, four cities had declared a state of catastrophe and eight municipalities had been cut off from the outside world.

Civil Defence officials warned that the number of dead could continue to rise, since several people remained missing in the wake of collapses of buildings and mudslides.

The Army was taking part in rescue efforts, with four planes, 17 trucks and 12 boats that helping evacuate isolated people.

Rio de Janeiro  - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev started Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro a two-day official visit to Brazil that includes a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

According to the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Lula and Medvedev were set to discuss current bilateral projects during their meeting Wednesday.

They planned to analyse "the expansion of reciprocal investment, including Russia's interest in taking part in infrastructure projects in Brazil in the areas of railways, hydroelectric plants, nuclear energy and gas and oil pipelines."

London, Nov 21 : A Brazilian surfer has broken his own record for catching a wave on the world’s longest surfboard.

Rico de Souza rode the 30ft board for ten seconds before being plummeting into the water at a beach in Rio de Janeiro.