As its peers in the region see their oil production slipping Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petrobras is entering a new era as the region's silent giant.
The leaders of 20 countries agreed to work more closely, but put off thornier questions until next year, in an early challenge for the Obama administration.
AP - Southern Californians weathered a second straight day of devastation Saturday as wind-blasted wildfires destroyed 500 mobile homes, forced thousands of people to flee and shut down major freeways.
AP - World leaders battling a dire and deepening economic crisis vowed Saturday to cooperate more closely, keep a sharper eye out for red-flag problems and give bigger roles to fast-rising nations — but kicked many hard details down the road for their next summit after President-elect Barack Obama takes office.
AP - Gay rights supporters waving rainbow colors marched, chanted and danced in cities coast to coast Saturday to protest the vote that banned gay marriage in California and to urge supporters not to quit the fight for the right to wed.
A raging wildfire near Los Angeles forced rotating power outages and closed highways in some areas Saturday, officials say. The Sayre Fire is one of three wildfires torching areas around Los Angeles. Thousands of acres have been scorched, and more than 10,000 people have been forced from their homes.
NASA said Saturday that the day-old mission of space shuttle Endeavour, which is carrying seven astronauts to the international space station, is going smoothly despite problems with a lost thermal blanket and a malfunctioning antenna.
World leaders unveiled a set of sweeping plans on Saturday aimed at tackling the ever-expanding economic crisis, but as expected sketched out an agenda for more work in coming months and another meeting early next year.
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