Brazil Cops Advise Tourists: If Robbed, Don't Scream

Muggings are so common on the streets of Brazil these days that police have some advice for tourists coming to next month's World Cup: If someone tries to rob them, they should not "react, scream, or argue," says a new brochure issued in Sao Paulo and noticed by the BBC. Otherwise, they'll risk becoming murder victims, too. "Tourists come mainly from Europe and the United States, where they do not see this crime very often," explains the official in charge of World Cup security.

The Washington Post reports that muggings are up 44% in the first four months of this year in Rio state, and police are threatening to go on strike nationwide during the monthlong World Cup over pay and working conditions. And all this comes with Brazil under fire on the world stage for being so far behind in preparing for the 2016 Olympics. (More Brazil stories.)