Eastern Ukraine:
Dutch investigators announced Tuesday that Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, which went down in rebel-occupied Ukraine on July 17, was brought down “by a large number of high-velocity objects that penetrated the aircraft from outside,” according to the BBC. There is no evidence of human error or poor maintenance having contributed to the crash. This lends credence to the theory that the plane was brought down with an anti-aircraft missile. Western nations have blamed Russian-supplied Ukrainian rebels for the crash, while Russia blames the Ukrainian air force.
Santiago, Chile:
A bomb constructed from a fire extinguisher was detonated in a subway station in Santiago, Chile. Fourteen people were injured in the blast. This is only the most recent in a string of bombings; 29 have occurred this year and around 200 in the last decade, according to Vice News. Prior bombings have been largely symbolic, however, and set to take place at night. Thus the new bombing is the worst since the country’s return to democracy in 1990. The bombing came shortly before the anniversary of the military coup on Sept. 11, 1973.
Punjab, Pakistan & Kashmir, India: Over 375 people have died after floods on the India-Pakistan border after the Chenab River flooded its banks, destroying homes and roads according to the BBC. Vice News estimates tens of thousands of residents have been stranded. The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the Pakistani prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, have offered mutual support in aiding residents on opposite sides of the border during this crisis. United aid efforts remain unlikely in reality, however, given political tension between the two nations.
Scotland:
Polls for the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence suggest that the votes for and against are now tied, according to The Guardian. This historic vote by the Scottish people will decide if Scotland will separate from the United Kingdom after more than 300 years together. The polls have shown a closing of the gap between “yes” (pro independence) and “no” (pro union) votes over the summer. Indeed, some polls that reported a 22-point lead for no votes in early August are now showing a two-point lead for yes.
