Recently released figures from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) showed an 83 percent increase in fire outbreaks in Brazil in comparison to the same period in 2018, representing the highest number of blazes since the agency began collecting such data in 2013, Reuters reported. Yesterday, Macron posted a tweet that described the fires as an “international crisis,” as concern grew around the world over the apparent lack of concern shown by Bolsonaro and his administration....

Ever since, Brazil has been winning the race. The government has tamed inflation and unemployment and put the books in the black. And even as the world economy has slowed, Brazil’s has looked fit and fortunate. No longer. Just the other day, the cardinals of high finance were saying last rites for Argentina. Now everyone is praying for Brazil, too. The latest troubles began in December, when Buenos Aires’s brush with default had much of the Third World bracing for a knock-on effect–nowhere more than Brazil, where the real went into a tailspin and investors scrambled for the cashier....

MARGOLIS: Are the United States and Brazil at war on trade? AMARAL: No, but we need to treat trade matters objectively. We are competitive. We do not have subsidies on exports. There’s been no surge in Brazilian exports to the U.S. market. I know of no grounds to justify the United States’ applying safeguards against us. And yet we are looking at a large potential loss of trade, and we have to evaluate this to decide whether this merits a stronger recourse....

The Brazil captain was shown a straight red card in Wednesday’s defeat to Colombia following a melee in which he appeared to kick the ball at Colombia’s Pablo Armero and attempt to headbutt Jeison Murillo. MORE: Dempsey suspended for tearing up ref’s notebook | Galaxy named after Ronaldo Neymar saw his initial one-match ban increased to four games on Friday, meaning he will miss Brazil’s final Group C game against Venezuela and all three knockout stage matches, should Dunga’s men get that far....

The Selecao arrive in Qatar as the highest-ranked team in the world and they’re considered strong favourites to win a sixth World Cup over the next month. Brazil haven’t lifted the trophy since 2002 but seem to have a squad primed to be genuine challengers in Qatar. Tite’s side will get an early test of their title credentials against Serbia - a team that is dangerous to underestimate considering they boast the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic....

“400k dead? Who are responsible and accomplices?” said Rio de Paz, the non-governmental organization that set up the demonstration in a Facebook post translated by Google. “Every hour a dramatization will be done by the protesters, symbolizing the burial of those whose lives would have been preserved if the Brazilian public authorities did not act with such neglect and incompetence.” Each of the 400 fake body bogs donned a Brazilian national flag, and demonstrators laid the plastic bags on the beach in a performance “symbolizing the burial of those whose lives would have been preserved if the Brazilian public authorities did not act with such neglect and incompetence,” the Facebook post said....

Three men and two women were shot during the incident at 1304 N. Park Avenue at 1:38 a.m. One of the men shot is still in hospital in a critical condition. Two of the victims have been named by the families as they spoke to local media after the shooting. Speaking to KABC-TV, family members said the birthday party was held for Breahna Stines. They added that her sister, the other female victim, Marney Hamilton was also shot and killed....

Photographs from the scene of the first explosion showed that a grenade launcher had been left lying in the road near the Ministry building following the attack. No workers were in the building at the time of the incident, as the attack fell on an official holiday connected with the Orthodox Christian observance of Easter. No injuries were reported. The Tuesday morning explosions disabled two Soviet-era radio towers which were known to broadcast Russian state-affiliated stations....

Here is a look at the 43 qualifiers for the Daytona 500, many of who will go to the rear of the field because of blown engines or backup cars during the week. Those drivers will remain in the lane they started in and move to the rear in the order they were in the original lineup to take the green flag. 1. Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet — Dillon starts on the pole in what will an emotional return for the No....

Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards and Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski will lead the AAA Texas 500 field to green Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. MORE FROM TEXAS: Anxious moment for Johnson | Qualifying speeds It might not seem a huge deal but for a manufacturer that added Penske this year in hopes of winning the manufacturer’s title — and to see Chevrolet already having clinched it — it will take anything it can get....

Roh probably got it right when he described the conversation as “an important turning point.” Coming on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War (page 27), the meeting of the two longtime adversaries showed Moscow’s readiness to make a new–and rich–friend at the risk of snubbing its North Korean ally. “This is sort of on the scale of Sadat flying to Jerusalem to meet with Begin in 1977,” said a Western diplomat in Seoul....

From California to New York, thousands of protesters took to the streets to voice their anger at the outcome of the Taylor case as well as alleged police brutality. Two officers were shot and police said rocks were thrown and fires started, while heavily-armed officers used tear gas and made arrests as small pockets at some of protests turned violent on Wednesday night. However the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful with crowds demanding justice for Taylor and her family, and urging those in attendance not to give up in calling for police reforms....

And the wife of former Badgers coach Bret Bielema had an interesting comment on it. MORE: Week 3 photos | What’s left for Tide? | Scoreboard Shortly after the Badgers lost 32-30 to Arizona State, here's what Jen Bielema wrote on Twitter. Bielema left Wisconsin after seven seasons for Arkansas. In Saturday's night's finish, the Badgers were in position to kick the game-winning field goal. With no timeouts remaining, Wisconsin QB Joel Stave ran the ball to the 15, losing two yards on the play, but moving the ball to the center of the field....

Saberhagen said in 2006 that he would decline induction so long as Pete Rose remained ineligible for betting on baseball, so he didn’t expect to get in. But he hoped for a little more consideration. MORE: Ranking the 25 worst Hall of Fame selections ever While injuries curtailed the career of the former Royals ace, limiting him to 167 lifetime wins, Saberhagen ranks by other measures as one of the best pitchers in baseball history not in the Hall of Fame....

The Jefferson County grand jury presented the indictment on Wednesday afternoon. Hankison is one of three Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers involved in the shooting. Sgt. Johnathan Mattingly and officer Myles Cosgrove have not been criminally implicated for their roles in Taylor’s death. Hankison, who fired 10 bullets in Taylor’s apartment, some of which traveled through the walls into adjacent apartments, was also the only officer fired from LMPD in June....

The team announced Wednesday the catcher will be sidelined 4-6 weeks with a mild hamstring strain. The Brewers said the injury was diagnosed Monday by Dr. William Raasch and confirmed Tuesday by Dr. Lee Kaplan. The team did not specify how Lucroy was injured. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke with assistant GM Gord Ash and it sounds like the injury isn’t too serious. While the injury will force him to miss some at-bats during spring training, the 28-year-old is expected to be ready by opening day....

The United Kingdom has been plunged into financial and political uncertainty following success for the campaign to depart the EU in a referendum held on Thursday. Addressing the media before the round-of-16 clash at Allianz Riviera, Lagerback agreed with the suggestion from an Icelandic journalist that his team could cause another ‘Brexit’ by securing passage to the quarter-finals. “That’s a good way to put it,” he said. “We can always hope for that....

The Tigers entered the bottom of the ninth ahead 6-1, with reliever Bruce Rondon coming in for a quick three outs. But the Twins had different plans. MORE: AL’s best young players by position | All-Star Game final vote gets awesome emojis on Twitter | Best, worst of All-Star Game visuals Outfielder Eddie Rosario got the scoring started with a one-out RBI single to cut the lead to 6-2. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus had seen enough and called upon closer Joakim Soria to record the final two outs....

Laundrie returned home alone from a cross-country trip with Petito, 22, on September 1, before she was declared missing by her family 10 days later. Laundrie has refused to talk to the police and has not been seen since September 14, after telling his family in Florida that he was going to go on a hike in a national park. Petito’s body was found in a Wyoming national park on September 19, while Laundrie was in hiding....