Brazil reports record surge in forest fires

Brazil’s amazon rain forest has seen a record number of fires this year.

The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said its satellite data showed an 83% increase on the same period in 2018.

It comes weeks after President Jair Bolsonaro sacked the head of the agency amid rows over its deforestation data.

Smoke from the fires caused a blackout in the city of Sao Paulo on Monday.

The daytime blackout, which lasted for about an hour, came after strong winds brought in smoke from forest fires burning in the states of Amazonas and Rondonia, more than 2,700km away.