Türkiye receives second shipment of S-400s from Russia; 19 US states sue President Trump

Onyx Lorenzoni, chief of staff to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, said Brazil “appreciated the offer,” but decided to reject the G7 aid proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron. Lorenzoni said the G7’s $22 million aid package was better suited for reforestation in Europe.

The statement came after Macron said the G7 countries had agreed to provide 20 million euros ($22 million) to help fight the fires in the Amazon. The G7 leaders also agreed to support a medium-term plan to restore the Amazon, which will be presented at the United Nations in September.

19 states sue President Trump over immigration detention rules

Attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration on August 26 to block a new rule that would indefinitely detain families who illegally entered the United States.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, is the first in a series of moves to block the rule, which is set to take effect in October. The states say the Trump administration’s new rule would endanger immigrant children by stripping state licenses from immigrant family detention centers.

In addition to the above states, many human rights and children's rights organizations also opposed the Trump administration's decision. The White House has not commented on this lawsuit.

Israeli Prime Minister Orders Halving of Fuel Supply to Gaza Strip

Israeli diesel tanker. Photo: AP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to cut fuel and gas deliveries to the Gaza Strip by half in response to rocket attacks from the region, which have heightened tensions along Israel’s southern border. Netanyahu’s order is effective immediately, with further approvals for fuel and gas deliveries pending further notice. The fuel cuts are expected to severely impact the already impoverished coastal enclave’s electricity supply.

The decision was made after Israel carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip overnight on August 25, after three rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel. The Israeli military said the airstrikes hit a Hamas command office building in the northern Gaza Strip. However, there were no casualties.

North Korea develops new missile aimed at penetrating Japan's defenses

Image from North Korea's latest missile launch. Photo: Reuters

At a press conference on August 27, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the two missiles launched by North Korea on August 24 were new short-range ballistic missiles with unusual trajectories, according to Reuters. According to Mr. Iwaya, these missiles could be developed to "penetrate Japan's missile defense shield". Minister Iwaya speculated that North Korea may be trying to increase the secrecy and surprise of the launches to increase the ability to attack by surprise, in addition to improving the accuracy of the missiles.

Japan and the United States currently have Aegis-equipped warships with interceptor missiles capable of destroying warheads outside the atmosphere. Japan also plans to set up two Aegis land-based systems to strengthen its missile shield. However, these defense systems are designed to deal with missiles with well-defined and predictable trajectories. Therefore, missiles with variable trajectories are believed to be more difficult to intercept.

Amid tensions with the US, Türkiye receives second shipment of S-400s from Russia

S-400 air defense missile system. Photo: Sputnik

Turkey has begun receiving the second batch of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed. “Today, the second delivery of components for the S-400 air defense missile system has officially begun. A Russian plane landed at Murted Air Base in Ankara Province. The delivery will continue for a month,” Sputnik quoted the Turkish Defense Ministry as saying on August 27.

Earlier, in July, the Ministry also announced the completion of the delivery of the first batch of S-400 air defense systems. The development occurred in the context of Türkiye and its NATO allies still having many disagreements related to the purchase of S-400 from Russia. The US and other NATO member countries are always concerned that if Ankara has both the S-400 and the US's fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, Russian radar systems will quickly learn how to calculate and track these aircraft.