Amazon deforestation hits lowest level since 1988

SAO PAULO (AP): Brazil’s government announced yesterday that annual deforestation in the Amazon fell to its lowest level since records began in 1988. Official satellite data showed the rainforest lost 3,335 square kilometres (1,300 square miles) from August 2025 through July 2026, the period used to calculate the annual rate. The data underscore the success of Brazil’s renewed efforts under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to curb Amazon deforestation, reversing a surge under his predecessor, far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.