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 $22 million G7 aid package was more appropriate for reforestation in Europe.

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

19 states sue President Trump over immigration detention regulations

Attorneys general of 19 states and Washington, DC sued the Trump administration on August 26 to block a new rule on indefinite detention of immigrant families entering the US illegally.

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

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

Israeli Prime Minister Orders Halving 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 in half in response to rocket attacks from the area, which have caused increased tensions along Israel's southern border. Netanyahu's order is effective immediately, with further fuel and gas deliveries pending until 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 on the night of 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, this missile 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 warships equipped with the Aegis system with interceptor missiles capable of destroying warheads outside the atmosphere. In addition, Japan also plans to set up two Aegis systems on land to strengthen its missile shield. However, these defense systems are designed to deal with missiles with well-known and predictable trajectories. Therefore, missiles with variable trajectories are said 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 as agreed, the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed. “Today, the second delivery of components for the S-400 air defense missile system officially began. 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 the 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.