Update on the rolling disaster, straight from today’s headlines:
Truck Carrying Broadcast Equipment for Olympics Hijacked in Rio. Latest robbery comes amid a rise in crime; foreign media and athletes have been targeted
Thieves hijacked a truck and made off with valuable broadcasting equipment from a pair of German media companies in Rio, highlighting growing security concerns ahead of the Olympics.
Apparently, some equipment was recovered following negotiations with leaders of the community where the theft took place.
Police found the equipment, however,
A number of foreign media outlets have fallen victim to robberies in recent weeks as reporting has ramped up ahead of the Olympics, people familiar with the matter say. In one case, some equipment was recovered following negotiations with leaders of the community where the theft took place.
Athletes in Rio for training have also been targeted. Last month, two members of Australia’s Paralympic Sailing Team were robbed at gunpoint while riding bikes in a park near their hotel. Three members of Spain’s sailing team were robbed at gunpoint while walking to breakfast in the hip neighborhood of Santa Teresa in May.
any hope that Brazil could clean up its poop and super bacteria-covered beaches before the games has been pretty much dashed. In response the US Olympic Team, at least, is planning a disinfectant regimen every time they get out of the water. They’ll be wearing special anti-bacterial suits. The waters are filled with human refuse and testing in December showed the viruses from that crap are at levels 1.7 million times what would be considered “alarming.” So good luck, guys.
The Olympics are five weeks away.
UPDATE
Rio police tell tourists they won’t be able to protect them
