Top Brazil official says no halt to Amazon protections

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s environment ministry said it will continue operations to curb deforestation and fires in the Amazon and other regions, reversing an earlier announcement that it would halt such operations starting Monday. The decision was published on the ministry’s website late Friday after Vice President Hamilton Mourão said Environment Minister Ricardo Salles acted “hastily” when he said the government had run out of money for operations ag