Brazil military begins operations to fight Amazon fires

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Backed by military aircraft, Brazilian troops on Saturday prepared to deploy in the Amazon to fight fires that have swept the region and prompted anti-government protests as well as an international outcry. Some 44,000 troops will be available for "unprecedented" operations to put out the fires, and forces are heading to six Brazilian states that asked for federal help to contain the blazes, Defence Minister Fernando Azevedo said. The states are Roraima, Rondonia, Tocantins, Pa