Russia
Every October, Russia exercises its nuclear forces, which they did this year last Tuesday. The Defense Ministry named this year’s war games “Thunder-2019.” The games lasted three days and involved 12,000 troops, 213 missile launchers, 105 aircrafts, 15 warships and five nuclear submarines. They also included 16 practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles. Acting chief of the Ministry’s Directorate for International Military Cooperation, Yevgeny Ilyin, confirmed with foreign officials that the drills were purely of defensive nature, used for preparing troops to deter a potential enemy, and were not aimed at any other country.
U.K.
After being banned from Trafalgar Square by police Monday night, climate change activists organized by the Extinction Rebellion group in London were able to orchestrate new protests on Tuesday morning. London’s Metropolitan Police Service stated that anyone who continued to protest could be arrested and prosecuted. As of Tuesday morning, over 1,400 people have been arrested. The protests have also caused large-scale disruptions in the roads, main squares and bridges since they started last Monday. Extinction Rebellion said that they expected 30,000 people had participated in the protests over the past two weeks.
Japan
The Japanese government is considering a special budget for Typhoon Hagibis disaster relief for Nagano, Japan. At a parliamentary session, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reported that the casualties had risen to 53 and are expected to continue rising. Most of Central Tokyo has been able to start cleaning up from the floods, but areas such as Nagano and Fukushima that received the brunt of the typhoon have not been able to start reconstruction yet. Abe promised support to the areas that were hit harder by the storm, since residents are concerned about the lasting-effects from destruction.
Spain
Brutal clashes in Barcelona’s airport between protesters and police officers have left 53 people injured. Protesters at El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport threw empty fire extinguishers and other objects at the police while police fired foam bullets and used batons to push back the crowds. This clash was sparked when Spain’s Supreme Court found 12 separatist leaders guilty of illegally advocating for Catalan independence. Of the 12 Catalan activists and politicians, nine were found guilty for sedition and sentenced to nine to 13 years in prison, three were fined for insubordination and four were convicted of misuse of public funds.
Ecuador
After two weeks of violent protests that paralyzed the economy and left seven dead, leaders of Ecuador’s Indigenous peoples and President Lenín Moreno made a deal to revoke the disputed austerity package that was a major source of conflict. After three hours of televised talks, a compromise was reached that Moreno would eliminate the International Monetary Fund-backed package, also called Decree 833, which involved an acute rise in fuel prices. Since the compromise was made, Indigenous leaders called off the rest of their protests and street blockades. Both sides of the argument have come to the consensus that they will try to come up with a new package to cut government spending, increase revenues and decrease Ecuador’s untenable budget deficits and public debt.