■CURACAO
Voters seek autonomy
Voters narrowly endorsed a plan to gain more political autonomy from the Netherlands as tens of thousands of islanders turned out for a nonbinding referendum on Friday. More than 41,000 voters supported a 2006 pact that granted the Caribbean island more freedom while preserving its ties to the Dutch kingdom. About 38,000 people voted against the plan, according to the elections commission. “We won. The people decided that the process will continue,” said one voter, Ersilia de Lannoy. “We are going to be an autonomous country.” The vote was largely symbolic because the Netherlands Antilles — comprising Curacao, Bonaire, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten — has been self-governing for 55 years except on matters of defense and foreign policy.
■BRAZIL
Dam overflows in north
Emergency officials say a rain-swollen reservoir overflowed a dam in the country’s flood-stricken north, forcing 500 people from their houses. Piaui state Civil Defense said in a statement that officials worried the Algodoes I dam could be in danger of collapsing. It was not immediately clear on Friday whether officials were releasing water to relieve pressure. Heavy rains and devastating floods have been punishing the north for weeks. The federal government says more than 313,000 people have been left homeless in 11 states, an area three times the size of Alaska. Thirty-nine people have died.
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