South Korea fires warning shots at Russian military aircraft
South Korea says its jets fired hundreds of warning shots at a Russian surveillance plane that entered its airspace on Tuesday.
Officials said the plane twice violated the airspace over the Dokdo/Takeshima islands, which are occupied by Seoul but also claimed by Japan.
South Korea’s Ministry of Defence said it scrambled fighter jets in response and fired 360 warning shots.
Russia has denied violating the country’s airspace.
Moscow said two of its bombers carried out a planned drill over “neutral waters” and denied any warning shots were fired by South Korean jets.
This is the first incident of its kind between Russia and South Korea.
Puerto Rico police fire teargas on thousands of protesters calling for governor to resign
- US island territory hit by general strike
- Ricardo Rosselló insists: ‘I am a good man’
Police in San Juan fired tear gas on Monday night to disperse thousands of protesters demanding Puerto Rico’s governor resign over offensive chat messages, the latest scandal to hit a bankrupt island struggling to recover from 2017 hurricanes.
Police moved in at about 11pm to break up protesters still on the streets of San Juan’s old city following day-long demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of residents. It follows Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s attempt to cling on to power despite resigning as president of the ruling New Progressive party and announcing he will not run for re-election next year.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro restricts drugs policy council, legalizes agritoxins
It was a busy day for the president, who stripped the drug policy council of independent members and legalized dozens of agritoxins. Jair Bolsonaro wants tighter control of Brazil’s deforestation data.
President Jair Bolsonaro wants tighter control of government data on deforestation. He spoke just days after accusing Brazil’s space agency, the INPE, of falsifying data.
Data released by the INPE in July data shows deforestation accelerating — raising concerns as officials negotiate an EU trade deal. Bolsonaro said his Cabinet should review data before the INPE releases it.
The president came out swinging at regulators Monday. His Agriculture Ministry authorized 51 pesticides and herbicides, bringing the number of agritoxins permitted to 290 in the just over half a year of his government so far.
Hong Kong police criticised for failing to protect protesters from attacks
Hong Kong police faced criticism on Monday for an apparent failure to protect anti-government protesters and passersby from attack by what opposition politicians suspected were gang members at a train station over the weekend.
Sunday’s attack came during a night of escalating violence that opened new fronts in Hong Kong‘s widening crisis over an extradition bill that could see people from the territory sent to China for trial in Communist Party-controlled courts.
Protesters had earlier on Sunday surrounded China’s main representative office in the Asian financial hub and defaced walls and signs and clashed with police.
US expands fast-track deportations of undocumented migrants
The Trump administration to expand its powers to deport migrants without allowing them to appear before court.
The administration of US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that it will vastly extend the authority of immigration officers to deport migrants without allowing them to appear before judges, its second major policy shift on immigration in eight days.
Starting on Tuesday, fast-track deportations can apply to anyone in the United States illegally for less than two years.
Previously, those deportations were largely limited to people arrested almost immediately after crossing the Mexican border.
Kyoto arson suspect likely spent hours scouting anime studio area
The suspect in last week’s deadly arson attack on a Kyoto Animation Co studio may have walked for hours scouting the area and that of the nearby company headquarters the day before the fire, investigative sources said Tuesday.
Shinji Aoba, 41, who allegedly ignited the fire that left 34 people dead in the three-story studio building in Kyoto on Thursday, likely bought empty gasoline containers at a hardware store located directly 5 kilometers from the studio, put them on a handcart and pushed it all the way to the area of the targeted buildings, they said.
The walk could have taken more than an hour as anyone trying to get to the anime studio from the store needs to use a bridge to cross a river and to pass through a complex residential area.