News Headlines - 19 October 2019

▽Boris Johnson sends unsigned request to Brussels for Brexit delay | The Guardian

Despite the prime minister’s insistence that he would not “negotiate” a further extension of the UK’s membership of the EU, he confirmed on Saturday evening that he had sought such a prolongation.
Shortly after 10pm London time Tusk tweeted: “The extension request has just arrived. I will now start consulting EU leaders on how to react.”
Johnson sent three letters: an unsigned photocopy of the request he was obliged to send under the Benn act, an explanatory letter from the UK’s ambassador to the EU and a letter explaining why Downing Street did not want an extension.

▽Chile President Pinera declares emergency as capital rocked by riots - Reuters

Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera declared a state of emergency in the capital Santiago early on Saturday, as the city of 6 million descended into chaos amid riots that left a downtown building engulfed in flames and its metro system shuttered.

▽China detains Japanese professor possibly for spying - Japan Today

Chinese authorities in September detained a Japanese professor of Hokkaido University, it was learned Friday from sources familiar with bilateral ties.
The professor, who is in his 40s, was taken into custody in Beijing, with the authorities saying he "violated domestic laws," indicating that he may have been suspected of spying, according to the sources... The professor previously worked for the National Institute for Defense Studies in the Japanese Defense Ministry.

▽South Korea Protesters Scale Walls Outside US Ambassador’s Residence | Voice of America

Around 20 South Korean protesters broke into the residential compound of the U.S. ambassador to South Korea Friday, prompting U.S. officials to call for tighter security measures around diplomatic missions here... After scaling the compound walls, the intruders attempted to forcibly enter the ambassador’s residence but were detained by Seoul police, according to a statement by the U.S. Embassy issued Saturday.
Some of the protesters carried signs calling for Harris to leave Korea and characterized U.S. troops as an occupying force.

▽Tokyo governor surprised by 'sudden' marathon switch - Reuters

Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike said on Friday she is surprised by the International Olympic Committee’s “sudden” decision to move the 2020 marathon to a northern city and there is no change in her thinking the race should be held in the capital.
The IOC on Wednesday announced a plan to move the marathon and race walking events to Sapporo, on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, due to concerns about heat in Tokyo next summer, a switch the Tokyo 2020 president said the city had little choice but to accept.
Koike told a regular news conference on Friday, however, that while she shared the IOC’s emphasis on “athletes first” and putting the priority on their health, she did not agree with the decision and especially its suddenness.