U.S. fighter jet within visual range of Iranian passenger plane, but at safe distance: U.S. officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. F-15 fighter jet came within visual range of an Iranian passenger aircraft on Thursday but was at a safe distance, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

One of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the incident took place over Syria.

Earlier IRIB news agency reported that two U.S. fighter jets came close to an Iranian passenger plane over Syrian airspace, causing the pilot to change altitude quickly to avoid collision and injuring several passengers.

Judge Bars Federal Forces From Detaining Journalists

U.S. federal agents were blocked by a judge from arresting, threatening or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon, without a reason for the next two weeks.

The order is the first victory among legal challenges to the federal government’s crackdown on protesters who have taken to the streets for weeks following the death of George Floyd. It comes after more than a dozen journalists and legal observers claimed they were tear gassed or shot with munitions by federal agents despite being clearly identifiable as bystanders.

Apartment Prices in Singapore Inch Higher Despite Recession

Home prices in Singapore rose in the second quarter although analysts expect the remainder of 2020 to be lackluster.

Property values increased 0.3% in the three months ended June 30, Urban Redevelopment Authority data released Friday showed. Apartment prices declined 1% in the first quarter as strains of Covid-19 began to impact upon daily life.

Singapore’s economy plunged into recession last quarter as an extended lockdown shuttered schools, shopping malls and most workplaces. Activity now has largely resumed, including property viewings and the reopening of display units, although groups are limited to five people and there must be appropriate social distancing.

Analysts expect home prices may fall between 3% to 6% this year, something which may spark buyer demand for those who can afford it. The number of new units sold rose to 998 last month from 487 in May, the most since November and up from a near six-year low of just 277 in April.

Dassault Aviation HY Profit Drops

Dassault Aviation reported that its net income for the first half of 2020 dropped to 32.00 million euros or 3.8 euros per share from 253.7 million euros or 30.5 euros per share in the prior year.

Adjusted net income for the period was 87.36 million euros, compared to 285.6 million euros in the previous year.

Adjusted operating income was 55 million euros, compared to 250 million euros in the prior year.

Order intake for the first half of 2020 was 984 million euros, compared to 2.90 billion euros for the first half of 2019. The Export order intake component stood at 80%.

Adjusted net sales for the first half of 2020 was 2.641 billion euros compared to 3.058 billion euros for the first half of 2019. The export component of net sales stood at 89% in the first half of 2020.

'Spider-Man: Far From Home' sequel delayed another month to December 2021

• The third Tom Holland-led "Spider-Man" film from Sony and Marvel will now arrive in theaters Dec. 17, 2021.
• This is the second time the film has been moved on the calendar.
• The push comes on the heels of a number of other studio slate shake-ups.

Sony Pictures announced Thursday that it altered the release of the third Tom Holland "Spider-Man" flick once more.

This time, the Queens-based hero is slated to return to theaters on Dec. 17, 2021.

Holland's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man had initially been set to sling webs on the big screen on July 16, 2021. However, in April, as it was clear production shutdowns would be prolonged, the film was pushed to Nov. 5, 2021.

It's unclear if Sony's last push was due to production delays on "Spider-Man," delays on other Marvel projects or a combination of the two.

The push to December comes on the heels of a number of other studio slate shake-ups including Warner Bros. pushing "Tenet" and Disney delaying the release of "Mulan" as well as pushing Star Wars and Avatar films back a year. Paramount Pictures is also ushering "A Quiet Place Part II" and "Top Gun: Maverick" into 2021.

Twitter Users Critique Trump’s Effort At Compassion — And It’s Not Pretty

Some expectations that have come to surround the presidency just don’t come easy to Donald Trump, such as showing empathy or compassion.

That seemed to be the general opinion of Twitter users who responded to this tweet by the Lincoln Project asking people to describe what it’s like when Trump breaks character and attempts to show a better side and appeal to the public’s better angels.

The Twitter universe was unleashed:

Some people were simply stumped by the request:

China Demands U.S. to Close Chengdu Consulate in Retaliation

China ordered the U.S. to close its consulate in the southern Chinese city of Chengdu, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday, after the American government forced China to leave its mission in Houston earlier this week.

The Chengdu mission, which opened in 1985, covers Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Chongqing in the country’s southwest. The consulate also serves as a key U.S. listening post for developments in Tibet, where Communist Party efforts to suppress dissent has long been a focus of tensions between China and the West.

— With assistance by Lucille Liu