Pope Francis will ditch the bullet-proof "popemobile" used by his predecessors on his visit to Brazil this month and travel in an open-top jeep, the Vatican said Wednesday.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi also dismissed concerns ahead of the July 22-28 trip about the demonstrations that have recently been rocking Brazil.

Brazil said Monday Washington had not sufficiently responded to Brasilia's request it explain the alleged U.S. electronic spying disclosed by rogue intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.

"Some clarifications were made; we view them as insufficient," Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said at a joint press conference with his Nigerian counterpart Olugbenga Ayodeji Ashiru.

At least 10 people died in southeastern Brazil when a driver at the wheel of a tourist bus lost control of the vehicle, local media reported Saturday.

The crash late Friday in eastern Minas Gerais also left several people injured, according to news reports.

Striking workers blocked highways and staged mainly peaceful marches across Brazil Thursday in a day of industrial action called by unions to demand better work conditions and tougher measures to contain rising inflation.

The "National Day of Struggle" was called by the country's top five labor federations during last month's nationwide street protests for better public services and an end to endemic corruption.

Brazilian workers on Thursday blocked roads and staged protest rallies across the country in a day of industrial action called by major unions to press demands for better work conditions.

The "National Day of Struggles" was called by the country's five leading labor federations during last month's mass street protests to demand better public services and an end to endemic corruption.

Spanish police said Thursday they had smashed an international cocaine ring in a two-year operation with other forces that led to the arrests of 74 people in Spain, Brazil and Colombia.

Police seized 575 kilograms (1,270 pounds) of the drug and closed five secret laboratories in a global swoop together with U.S., Brazilian and French police.

Brazil launched a program Monday to lure thousands of foreign doctors to fill vacancies in its public health system, a move criticized by many domestic health care professionals.

Improving public health services was one of the key demands made by hundreds of thousands of Brazilians who staged three weeks of nationwide street protests last month.

Brazil's Congress has received a request from President Dilma Rousseff to hold a referendum on political reform in response to the worst social unrest in 20 years.

The move, widely supported by the public, came after three weeks of protests over corruption and public spending which marred the Confederations Cup, a dress rehearsal for next year's football World Cup, which will also be held in Brazil.

Seven people, including one police officer, were fatally shot during gunbattles that erupted in a slum complex near Rio international airport, authorities said on Tuesday.

An officer with a special operations force known under the acronym BOPE, and a resident were fatally shot late Monday as the police unit intervened against criminals who were shaking down motorists caught in a demonstration, officials said.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff spoke about her generation's struggles in battling a dictatorship during a prime-time speech meant to connect with the nation's youth who have energized widespread and at times violent anti-government protests.

The 10-minute address ended Rousseff's much-criticized silence in the face of the protests. She promised to make improvements in urban transportation and to battle corruption, but offered few details as to how that will happen.