“Mariana Bridi da Costa fell ill on December 30, and was initially diagnosed with kidney stones, Agence-France Presse reported Thursday. But, it turned out she had come down with the infection pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium, which can often prove fatal. The infection quickly spread, causing her to go back to the hospital for tests. That’s when doctors discovered septicemia had set into her limbs, cutting off circulation, the news agency reported. As a result, doctors were forced to amputate.” [Link]

“More than 370 penguins that mysteriously washed up on Brazil’s equatorial beaches were flown south on a huge air force cargo plane and released closer to the frigid waters they call home, animal advocates said Monday. Onlookers cheered as the young Magellanic penguins were set free on a beach in southern Brazil and scampered into the ocean, the International Fund for Animal Welfare said in a statement.” [Link]

“Naomi Campbell has finally hit it big with her Russian billionaire, Vladimir Doronin. The two were just in her favorite country, Brazil, where he dropped a cool $18.5 million on a penthouse apartment for Campbell in Jardins, the Upper East Side of Sao Paolo, after Campbell told him how much she loved the country” [Link]