Brazilian president gets inaugurated

BRASILIA, Brazil - Cloudy rain gave way to speeches, applause, cheers and finally tears on Saturday as Dilma Rousseff took over Brazil's presidency from her mentor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The hours-long ceremony featuring ornate protocol against the backdrop of Brazil's futuristic capital marked the turning of an era, as Latin America's biggest country bid farewell to the immensely popular Lula.

But it was also a carefully staged endorsement of continuity, with Rousseff vowing to maintain Lula's policies that have turned Brazil into an economic and diplomatic power to be reckoned with.