For illegal loggers in the Brazilian Amazon, 'there is no fear of being punished'

[Money for protecting the Brazilian Amazon is drying up]( Oct. 3, 2018 Last October, a mob of angry miners paraded through the streets of Humaitá, in Brazil’s northwestern Amazonas state. They were headed for the local office of Brazil’s environmental agency, called IBAMA, which polices deforestation in the Amazon. Agents there had recently shut down an illegal mining operation in a nearby forest reserve. This was payback. In an instant, the field office and six IBAMA trucks went up in flames. The agents escaped unharmed. This was no spontaneous eruption of violence. IBAMA officials say it was started by the town’s mayor and several other local politicians who hosted a barbecue with free alcohol and then encouraged the miners to attack IBAMA. They were arrested but later released. [Read more in part two of our series this week: The Amazon's Carbon Tipping Point.]( Also, [these grainy surveillance photos]( look like something from the Cold War. But they were captured early this week, when a US Navy destroyer had to change course to avoid colliding with a Chinese warship somewhere in the South China Sea. It’s just the sort of incident that military strategists might use in a war-planning scenario. And the [magnitude 7.5 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Indonesia]( days ago have resulted in at least 1,200 deaths and have had a devastating effect on the Sulawesi region. — Anna Pratt, The Scan editor [No Images? Click here.]( [For illegal loggers in the Brazilian Amazon, 'there is no fear of being punished']( [For illegal loggers in the Brazilian Amazon, 'there is no fear of being punished']( Money for protecting the Brazilian Amazon is drying up, while big landowners along the region's "arc of deforestation" are pushing the government to ease up on regulations. Both spell disaster in the battle to preserve the world's largest tropical forest. [For illegal loggers in the Brazilian Amazon, 'there is no fear of being punished']( [For illegal loggers in the Brazilian Amazon, 'there is no fear of being punished']( Money for protecting the Brazilian Amazon is drying up, while big landowners along the region's "arc of deforestation" are pushing the government to ease up on regulations. Both spell disaster in the battle to preserve the world's largest tropical forest. [US and Chinese warships came perilously close to collision, and it’s probably going to keep happening]( [US and Chinese warships came perilously close to collision, and it’s probably going to keep happening]( There’s a high stakes game of chicken going on in the South China Sea, and neither the US nor China is showing any sign of backing down. [US and Chinese warships came perilously close to collision, and it’s probably going to keep happening]( [US and Chinese warships came perilously close to collision, and it’s probably going to keep happening]( There’s a high stakes game of chicken going on in the South China Sea, and neither the US nor China is showing any sign of backing down. [Why Indonesia's tsunamis are so deadly]( [Why Indonesia's tsunamis are so deadly]( A combination of plate tectonics in the region, the shape of the coastline, vulnerable communities and a less-than-robust early warning system all combine to make Indonesian tsunamis especially dangerous. [Why Indonesia's tsunamis are so deadly]( [Why Indonesia's tsunamis are so deadly]( A combination of plate tectonics in the region, the shape of the coastline, vulnerable communities and a less-than-robust early warning system all combine to make Indonesian tsunamis especially dangerous. [In an effort to woo women voters, Australia scraps tampon tax]( [In an effort to woo women voters, Australia scraps tampon tax]( Products such as condoms and sunscreen are exempt from the 10 percent goods and services tax that has been added to all other items sold in Australia for almost 20 years, including female sanitary products. [Survivors scavenge for food and water as Indonesia death toll continues to rise]( [Survivors scavenge for food and water as Indonesia death toll continues to rise]( The official death toll from the 7.5 magnitude quake that hit the west coast of Sulawesi island last Friday rose to 1,407, many killed by tsunami waves it triggered. But officials fear the toll could soar. Hey, Scan reader… PRI takes a global approach to the news of the day. We help you understand how what happens around the world matters in Washington and in your neighborhood. Today more than ever, we need conversations, perspectives and diverse voices. [Donate Today >]( Enjoying The Scan? Forward it to a friend! And if you’re not getting it daily, it’s easy to subscribe. [Sign up here](. We also love feedback, so please [tell us how we’re doing](. Today’s newsletter was written by Anna Pratt. Find her on Twitter: [@annapratt](. [Press release]( [PRI Facebook]( [PRI Twitter]( [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( The Scan is brought to you by [GlobalPost]( and [PRI - Public Radio International](.