Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva approved a plan on Thursday to beef up regional police forces and authorize the use of special national security troops in Brazil’s 11 most violent cities. A justice ministry spokeswoman said the plan, crafted by Justice Minister Tarso Genro, will now be presented to the 11 cities — including Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital city of Brasilia — and opened to public debate for the next 30 days. Full Story