So there's particular concern about the damage that fires might do here.

The second is that there is a lot of felled forest left over from last year's logging - this is chopped wood that can fuel fires. However, fires have continued in the region and critics complain about a lack of sufficient enforcement. And social media companies have removed viral online posts by doctors who reject the scientific consensus, praising the drug's effectiveness. They haven't included Abuja, but Lagos is at the bottom of this list. So the likelihood is that official statistics would significantly under-report crime rates in Abuja and across Nigeria. The top US virus expert blames a lack of masks and no social distancing for an outbreak of cases. © 2020 BBC. It was built from scratch in the 1980s and became the nation's capital in 1991. The peak of the fire season is often seen in August to September. Vice-President Hamilton Mourao recently launched a campaign against the fires, including an app for the public to report them. Prof White says hospital trusts have pulled out of the trial.

21 September 2019. The top US virus expert blames a lack of masks and no social distancing for an outbreak of cases. Video, Mick Fleetwood surprises viral Dreams TikTok star, White House hosted Covid 'superspreader' event, says Dr Fauci, Covid: The latest on Trump's health in seven graphics, Mali hostages: Swiss woman killed last month, 'Real and imminent' extinction risk to whales, Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer was 'moved around' as FBI tracked militia 'plot', Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan agree ceasefire, Lebanon explosion: Deadly fuel tank blast rocks Beirut, Gracious David-West: Nigerian serial killer sentenced to death in Port Harcourt, Ferraris and frustration: Two faces of South Africa's corruption battle, Coronavirus: Spain imposes state of emergency on Madrid, What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? London, United Kingdom. VideoMick Fleetwood surprises viral Dreams TikTok star, Unknown Nigerian 'masterpiece' goes up for auction, Hong Kong's last authentic junk in troubled waters, .css-orcmk8-HeadlineContainer{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;}White House hosted Covid 'superspreader' event, says Dr Fauci.css-1dedj2h-Rank{-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;color:#B80000;margin-left:3.125rem;}1, Covid: The latest on Trump's health in seven graphics2, Mali hostages: Swiss woman killed last month3, 'Real and imminent' extinction risk to whales4, Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer was 'moved around' as FBI tracked militia 'plot'5, Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan agree ceasefire6, Lebanon explosion: Deadly fuel tank blast rocks Beirut7, Gracious David-West: Nigerian serial killer sentenced to death in Port Harcourt8, Ferraris and frustration: Two faces of South Africa's corruption battle9, Coronavirus: Spain imposes state of emergency on Madrid10. In Venezuela, an increase in mining for gold is likely to be behind the increase, as since 2016 President Nicolas Maduro has opened up the sector to try and stem the country's economic collapse.

Abuja is a planned city and is relatively affluent. "We will be out in the field in August to try to stop these fires becoming worse than last year," he told the BBC. The International Police Science Association, a group of security experts and researchers, ranks Nigeria bottom in a global index that measures factors including confidence in the police, corruption and security outcomes. "So the consistent increase in June and July is worrisome," says Prof Castro. The total number of fires in Brazil's Amazon until July this year is high - but slightly lower than the same period last year. However, instability in the rest of the country and Abuja's relative wealth have meant that crime and violence is often spilling over into the capital. … Published. VideoRoyal Ballet back on stage with social distancing, The US women leading a 'wine-fuelled rebellion' VideoThe US women leading a 'wine-fuelled rebellion', Striking news pictures from around the world, How history was made in the 2020 science Nobels. © 2020 BBC. The Brazilian President holding a packet of hydroxychloroquine, Coronavirus: Influential study on hydroxychloroquine withdrawn. Healthcare workers have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19, and the Oxford scientists leading the trial hope the drug may help those on the frontline of the pandemic. "If we consider the average number of fires in July over the period from 2010-2019, then the number of fires in July 2020 represented an increase of 55.6% of the average," says Prof Marcia Castro, a Brazilian scientist based at Harvard University. "An increase also happened in June (19.6% compared to June last year, and 36.1% compared to the average for the month of June between 2010-19). In Colombia, following the government's rapprochement with rebel group Farc in the past few years, areas have been opened up for farming, causing an increase in blazes, says Dr Kalamandeen. 24 March 2019. Brazil is a huge country with many different environments, including grassland, wetland and rainforest. BBC News.

By Jack Goodman and Christopher GilesBBC Reality Check and Visual Journalism. The virus expert blames a lack of masks and no social distancing for an outbreak after Mr Trump's gathering.

And the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against misuse of the drug because of serious side-effects.

The number of forest fires in the Amazon regions of Colombia, Peru and Venezuela is up on this time last year. "The waters of the tropical north Atlantic are warmer this year and when that happens, we have less rainfall over the southern Amazon," says Professor Nobre. "When a forest is lost, it is gone forever. It's the centre of government and home to foreign embassies, diplomats and businesses. Coronavirus and hydroxychloroquine: What do we know? Video, How history was made in the 2020 science Nobels, Mick Fleetwood surprises viral Dreams TikTok star. The Economist Intelligence Unit publishes an annual report on urban crime that ranks 60 cities across 57 indicators. To the north-east, the large municipality of Altamira has recorded the most fires in Brazil's Amazon region during this period. VideoHow history was made in the 2020 science Nobels, Mick Fleetwood surprises viral Dreams TikTok star. That's more than eight times the size of London. "The city, once considered an island of safety amidst the surge of incidents elsewhere, now appears increasingly vulnerable," says Nnamdi Obasi of the International Crisis Group. .css-8h1dth-Link{font-family:ReithSans,Helvetica,Arial,freesans,sans-serif;font-weight:700;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;}.css-8h1dth-Link:hover,.css-8h1dth-Link:focus{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Read about our approach to external linking. Fires this year are at the second highest level since 2010. Video, How history was made in the 2020 science Nobels, Mick Fleetwood surprises viral Dreams TikTok star. Reality Check; image copyright AFP. What happens to your body in extreme heat? The safest ranked African city is Johannesburg in South Africa at 44. This year, the army has been conducting an operation to stop deforestation since June, and in July, President Bolsonaro imposed a four-month ban on forest fires. Related Topics. "We know now that it doesn't work in treatment of hospitalised patients," says Prof Nick White, one of the study's investigators.

Read about our approach to external linking. The latest on Trump's health in seven graphics, Armenia and Azerbaijan agree Karabakh truce, Royal Ballet back on stage with social distancing. Why a video promoted by Trump was pulled on social media. Hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug which has become hugely controversial. Dr Kalamandeen says the torched forest often struggles to grow back.

President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil recently said that claims the Amazon "is going up in flames" were not true, despite statistics published by his own government showing the spread of fires. Mali hostages: Swiss woman killed last month, Signs Saudis are edging towards historic Israel peace, Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan agree ceasefire, Hurricane Delta makes landfall in storm-battered Louisiana, Gracious David-West: Nigerian serial killer sentenced to death in Port Harcourt, Brazil's Amazon sees surge in deforestation, Amazon under threat: Fires, loggers and now virus, reportedly held a "day of fire" last year. According to the Brazilian defence ministry, 28,100 cubic metres of illegal wood has been confiscated with fines totalling 407.2 million Brazilian reais ($72.6m; £55m). Read about our approach to external linking. VideoRoyal Ballet back on stage with social distancing, The US women leading a 'wine-fuelled rebellion' VideoThe US women leading a 'wine-fuelled rebellion', Striking news pictures from around the world, How history was made in the 2020 science Nobels. There are certainly more crimes committed in Lagos than Abuja - three times as many per head of population, according to Nigerian official data for 2017. Experts don't rate them highly - a recent United Nations report analysing homicide statistics describe existing Nigerian data as "patchy and divergent". The BBC's Hausa language service says residents are concerned about the rise in kidnappings - and were disappointed with the police chief's statements. On this measure, Abuja does not rate among the safest cities, as the Nigerian police chief has claimed - and there are plenty of other cities we could have chosen as comparisons to make the point. .css-8h1dth-Link{font-family:ReithSans,Helvetica,Arial,freesans,sans-serif;font-weight:700;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;}.css-8h1dth-Link:hover,.css-8h1dth-Link:focus{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Read about our approach to external linking. Controversy around the drug - touted by President Trump and the subject of online misinformation - is stopping completion of the trial, they say. By Jack Goodman and Christopher Giles BBC Reality Check and Visual Journalism.

Early numbers from this year's fire season show an increase, leading to concern from scientists. And alerts so far in August look set to rival the number recorded last year. .css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link{color:inherit;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:focus,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:focus{color:#B80000;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link::after,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited::after{content:'';position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;z-index:2;}White House 'hosted Covid superspreader event'.

Some 60% of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil, and it plays a vital role in absorbing harmful CO2 that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere. The Oxford University-led trial is aiming to enrol 40,000 frontline workers around the world. But Lagos is a much bigger city, and remember - the official recorded murder rate per capita was higher for Abuja. Video, Mick Fleetwood surprises viral Dreams TikTok star, White House hosted Covid 'superspreader' event, says Dr Fauci, Covid: The latest on Trump's health in seven graphics, Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer was 'moved around' as FBI tracked militia 'plot', 'Real and imminent' extinction risk to whales. The UK Recovery trial dropped the drug after concluding it "does not save lives" of hospitalised patients. By Christopher Giles BBC News. In areas around Novo Progresso in Para state, farmers reportedly held a "day of fire" last year and satellites have picked up more than 1,300 fire alerts in the past month, according to official statistics. A trial investigating the drug hydroxychloroquine as a preventative treatment against Covid-19 may never find out if it's effective, say scientists involved.