- Hezbollah chief admits 'unprecedented' blow in device blasts
- Sales of US existing homes slip slightly in August
- Fear, panic haunt Lebanese after devices explode
- Labuschagne sparks Australia fightback in England ODI opener
- S.Africa's HIV research power couple says fight goes on
- Why is Israel focusing on border with Lebanon?
- Mpox vaccines administered in Rwanda, first in Africa
- US Fed rate cut is 'very positive sign' for economy: Yellen
- Unknown Mozart string trio discovered in Germany
- 'Are we five-year-olds?' F1 drivers won't mind their language
- Brazil judge orders X to reimpose block or face hefty fine
- Munich to rename stadium street after Beckenbauer
- Champions Italy to face Argentina in Davis Cup Final 8
- The winding, fitful path to weight loss drug Ozempic
- Italians defeat American Magic to reach Louis Vuitton Cup final
- Norris has 'nothing to lose' as he hunts Verstappen in Singapore
- Kyiv 'outraged' at Swiss showing of Russian war film
- French city renames Abbe Pierre square after abuse claims
- Footballer charged after huge cannabis seizure at UK airport
- Vatican recognises Medjugorje shrine, but not Virgin's messages
- Bank of England freezes rate after jumbo US cut
- Playing Nadal is 'kind of a nightmare', says Alcaraz
- Portugal tackles last of deadly northern forest fires
- Ton-up Ashwin lifts India to 339-6 against Bangladesh
- Departing NATO chief warns US against 'isolationism'
- Coming winter 'sternest test yet' for Ukraine energy grid
- Evacuations as tail of Storm Boris floods northeast Italy
- Lebanon's Hezbollah reeling after second wave of deadly blasts
- Taiwan recognises same-sex marriages between Chinese, Taiwanese
- Stock markets rally after jumbo US rate cut
- Gabon's ousted leader Bongo says renouncing politics for good
- Lebanon device blasts: what we know about deadly attacks
- Late Harrods owner Al-Fayed accused of rape: BBC
- Hong Kong man sentenced 14 months for wearing 'seditious' T-shirt
- Lebanon's Hezbollah in disarray after second wave of deadly blasts
- Meta and Spotify blast EU decisions on AI
- Hasan takes three as Bangladesh rattle India in first Test
- Two killed during police operation in New Caledonia
- Flood-hit region leaders to meet in Poland to discuss EU aid
- Sri Lanka to vote in first poll since economic collapse
- Hong Kong probe finds Cathay Airbus defect could cause 'extensive' damage
- AI development cannot be left to market whim, UN experts warn
- All Blacks primed for 'hell' of a Wallabies clash
- Zoom fatigue? Try some nature in your background: study
- Japan walkie-talkie maker says investigating after Lebanon blasts
- Slipper to become most-capped Wallaby in All Blacks clash
- Tokyo surges on weak yen as Asian traders cheer big US rate cut
- Vast France building project sunk by sea level rise fears
- UK campaigners in green energy standoff reject 'nimby' label
- Rainbow warriors: Three things to watch at cycling world championships
CMSC | -0.18% | 25.01 | $ | |
BCC | 3.98% | 142.745 | $ | |
AZN | 0.58% | 79.035 | $ | |
SCS | -7.3% | 13.15 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.08% | 25 | $ | |
BP | 2.25% | 33.175 | $ | |
BTI | -0.53% | 37.68 | $ | |
NGG | -2.08% | 68.625 | $ | |
GSK | -1.05% | 41.99 | $ | |
RYCEF | 5.48% | 6.93 | $ | |
JRI | -0.45% | 13.38 | $ | |
BCE | -0.44% | 35.455 | $ | |
RBGPF | 5.79% | 60.5 | $ | |
VOD | -1.78% | 10.051 | $ | |
RIO | 3.84% | 65.425 | $ | |
RELX | 1.25% | 47.97 | $ |
Brazil fires need harsher punishment: environmental police boss
Brazil's raging wildfires are being driven by people seeking to clear land for agriculture or arsonists out to sow havoc, a top police official told AFP, calling for harsher punishments for environmental crimes.
Flames have ripped through vast areas of forest and farmland due to the country's worst drought in seven decades, which experts attribute to climate change.
But the spark was lit by people.
"There are economic motivations, to clear areas for pasture, or even to appropriate public lands. But there are also people who set fires just to sow chaos," said Humberto Freire, police chief in charge of the environment and the Amazon rainforest, in an interview with AFP.
"We have indications of possible coordinated actions, due to many fires starting at the same time, in areas close to each other. These coordinated actions could be aimed at destabilizing certain areas, by overloading the firefighters."
Clearing land for agriculture is normally only possible with prior authorization, but is currently banned due to the drought.
The fires have left major cities Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital Brasilia choking on fumes, destroyed crops and left jaguars with burn injuries in the Pantanal wetlands.
Freire said the federal police had opened 50 investigations so far.
"We have received information about suspects being arrested by local police forces," in various states.
- 'Increased sentences' -
Freire said that Brazil's laws had not kept up with the evolution of environmental crimes in the country "while we are experiencing a climate emergency worldwide."
"Often, environmental crimes are perceived as less serious, less important, and the time has come to reflect on the harmful consequences of these crimes, which affect all of humanity and can cause many deaths," he said.
"Unfortunately, in the absence of harsher penalties, we do not have the legal means necessary to carry out our investigations."
Freire said that environmental crimes should be linked to organized crime in order to impose harsher sentences.
"Organized crime has understood that environmental crimes are very profitable, while the legislation provides for sentences that are too low."
Illegal gold panning is punishable by six months to a year in jail and arson by two to four years.
"Depending on the convicted person's criminal record, he will not get a prison sentence. And by the time the investigation is completed, the statute of limitations is likely to have run out," said Freire.
"That is why we really need increased sentences."
Satellites from the Institute for Space Research (Inpe) have detected 61,572 fires in Brazil since the beginning of September.
Last year there were 46,498 in the whole month
J.V.Jacinto--PC