Police in Rio de Janeiro, already facing criticism...

Police in Rio de Janeiro, already facing criticism from human rights groups for their tough tactics, had shot dead 34 people in sweeping crackdowns on drug gangs in the city's infamous shantytowns since November 2003, officials said. A police spokesman described the victims as criminal suspects killed in shoot-outs but human rights groups voiced concern that some had been summarily executed. In 2003 police killed more than 1,000 people in Rio. Amnesty International and other groups said many suspects were killed execution-style and some were innocent of any crimes.