>> james longman. james, thank you. >>> back here at home, and extraordinary images that came in today of a plane making an emergency landing in washington state. you can see the plane coming down on a highway. drivers right beneath the plane. an officer's camera recording the plane just as it was getting closer. here's abc's clayton sandell now. >> reporter: in his two-decade career, washington state trooper clint thompson never had a traffic stop like this. >> an aircraft incident. possibly just landed on pacific avenue. >> reporter: that is a small airplane coming head-on into morning rush hour traffic in parkland, south of tacoma. >> as it got closer, it got bigger and bigger and bigger. it was getting closer to the ground, so, i decided to make it a u-turn. >> reporter: thompson spins his car around, clearing some space on the roadway turned runway, as the pilot makes a wobbly but safe touchdown, even managing to stop before that red light. >> it was crazy. i mean, you don't see a plane land in the

questions about the kind of nuclear technology he's trying to develop and the dangers they pose. >> james longman in moscow tonight. james, thank you. >>> back here at home, and the trump administration's new rule for legal immigrants already here that would make green cards more difficult. for those who apply for government assistance. today the acting director of the immigration services, ken cuccinelli made headlines when he said how the famous phrase on the statue of liberty might be revised. >> give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge. >> the new rule could impact hundreds of thousands of immigrants who come to the u.s. every year. >>> to the economy tonight and another wild swing on the markets. president trump backed down on some chinese tariffs set to kick in on september 1st. the administration removing things from the list and delaying until december 15th the tariffs on cell phones, laptops, toys, and some clothing. they're saying it was in case the tariffs would affect some shoppers in the christmas season. the dow rec

>> james longman leading us off with the breaking headline tonight. james, thank you. >>> and back here at home, and to that major explosion and fire at an exxonmobil facility in baytown, texas, tonight. multiple injuries. families rushing to the scene. the community told to shelter in place. black smoke seen for miles. people told not to open doors and abc's marcus moore is on the scene for us. >> reporter: the fire at this exxonmobil complex in baytown, texas, started with an explosion just before noon. towering flames and a thick column of black smoke visible for miles. the fire burning in a facility that contains propylene, an extremely flammable gas. >> we're seeing it lean a little bit more, it appears. >> reporter: officials ordering area residents and schools to shelter in place, turn off their air conditioning and keep their windows closed. >> i just want him out. >> reporter: mary landry raced to the scene after an urgent call from her son. >> he said, "a tank blew up. i'm trapped in the back and i can't get out." he said, "kiss my babies and

here's abc's james longman. >> reporter: he was handsome, charismatic and seemingly wealthy beyond measure. for celia, it was an easy decision to swipe right. >> this guy suddenly comes up on my phone. and you can see he lives a very different life than what i'm living. he had some selfies. a picture in a nice car. you could see that he was a private jet. it was an overall package. >> reporter: the 29 year old grad student studying in london says she was immediately swept off her feet by simon and swept into a high-powered world of luxury. >> just his aura and charisma. >> reporter: most first dates don't end with a flight on a private plane. you go to bulgaria. >> i was texting my friends at the same time, i don't know what's going on. >> reporter: you had a nice time. >> yeah. >> reporter: and then you came back to the uk. and what did you think, it was going to continue? >> i was starting to feel like, okay, this guy actually is really nice and funny. and yes, someone that i could date and, like maybe have something with. >> reporter: but her dream of finding mr. right went horribly wro

they are very standard. >> james longman reporting in live tonight again from london. and these provocations taking place just as u.s. officials, james, and other leaders are set to meet there in the region tomorrow? >> reporter: yes, that's right, david. secretary of state mike pompeo is in thailand, an annual southeast asian summit. pompeo hoped he would discuss restarting negotiations with the north koreans. they did not attend. david? >> james, thank you. >>> back here at home, and extraordinary images that came in today of a plane making an emergency landing in washington state. you can see the plane coming down on a highway. drivers right beneath the plane. an officer's camera recording the plane just as it was getting closer. here's abc's clayton sandell now. >> reporter: in his two-decade career, washington state trooper clint thompson never had a traffic stop like this. >> an aircraft incident. possibly just landed on pacific avenue. >> reporter: that is a small airplane coming head-on into morning rush hour traffic in parkland, south of tacoma. >> also it got

it happened outside moscow and abc's james longman is in russia with what the pilot did. >> reporter: these terrifying moments captured by a passenger as the jet with two damaged engines, and carrying 233 people, crash lands. the belly of the ural airlines airbus slamming onto a corn field, just seconds after taking off outside moscow. slides deployed. stricken passengers evacuating, making their way through the rows of corn. at least 76 people, including 19 children, hurt. the emergency triggered at take-off, when birds hit both the plane's engines. in this passenger video, you can see a gull just outside the window, moments before the strike. with reports of one engine on fire, the pilot guiding the plane down. >> it's a miracle that the crew was able to fly this to a point where they could land in a corn field, cushioned landing, no fire and no serious injuries. >> reporter: tonight experts are saying the pilot was exactly right not to deploy the landing gear because it could have stuck in that soil and flipped the aircraft. tonight, he's being hailed a hero. david? >> for sure, ja

>> james longman with that wild video and warning tonight. all right, james, thank you. >>> there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this thursday. the school bus scare as kids return to class. a driver blowing past the bus with its stop signs out. a little girl nearly hit. and tonight, the warning from her mother. >>> plus, the hot air balloon out of control, bouncing off the ground. the pilot and a passenger thrown from the basket. >>> and the close encounter off the east coast with a great white shark that was a little too close for comfort. stay with us. thanks to you, we will. aw, stop. this is why voya helps reach today's goals... ...all while helping you to and through retirement. um, you guys are just going for a week, right? yeah! that's right. can you help with these? oh... um, we're more of the plan, invest and protect kind of help... sorry, little paws, so. but have fun! send a postcard! voya. helping you to and through retirement. (has me feeling super healthy. my beneful superfood blend with salmon, cranberries... .

>> james longman. we'll stay on it.. >>> when we come back here tonight, the doctor accused of being intoxicated on the job, now facing charges in the deaths of three patients. >>> and that shark attack i mentioned off the east coast. this time, an 11-year-old boy rushed to the hospital. the index is next. from an infection, human papillomavirus i knew that hpv could lead to certain cancers. i knew her risk for hpv increases as she gets older. i knew there was a vaccine available that could help protect her before she could be exposed to hpv. i knew. so i talked to my child's doctor. now that you know that hpv can lead to certain cancers, don't wait. talk to your child's doctor today. (nathan) secondhand smoke caused measthma attacks, infections and lung damage. and i never smoked. (announcer) if you or someone you know wants free help to quit smoking, call 1-800-quit-now. you only talk about your insurancet, when you complain about it. (garbled)....it's so painful. good point! that's why esurance is making the whole ex

abc's james longman has more. >> reporter: the amazon rain forest, often called the planet's lungs, ises causing massive devastation. nearly 73,000 detected by researchers so far this year. an 83% increase from 2018. the fires visible even from space. those white patches not clouds but smoke. powerful winds carrying it nearly 1,700 miles away to sao paolo. these images from monday afternoon. drivers forced to use their headlights in the darkness. the major concern, how the wildfires could accelerate climate change. the amazon rain forest produces 20% of the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere, a vital defense against global warming. brazil's president, without evidence, suggesting environmental groups may have had a role in the fires as a ploy for money. the president's critics say he's harmed the rain forest since he took office, selling it off, they feel, to loggers and miners. james longman, abc news, london. >>> back at home the latest economic news undermines the administration's claim of a strong economy. reports the federal deficit will reach $960 billion by september 30th. that's

james longman, abc news, in london. >> our thanks to james there. >>> u.s.o figure out what caused a fighter jet to crash in southern california's death valley national park. >> the f-18 like this one you see pictured was on a routine training mission in what's known as "star wars" canyon. investigators were conducting an extensive search for the pilot. seven people who were watching the exercises suffered minor injuries. they were treated for burns and cuts from flying fragments of that plane. >>> officials near houston say air quality tests in the area of an oil refinery fire are not raising health concerns. the explosion and fire at the exxonmobil plant in baytown, texas sent plumes of black smoke high into the sky. all workers of the plant are accounted for. 37 people were injured. most suffered minor burns. it was at least the fourth fire at an oil industry facility in the houston area this year. >>> the fathers of the american teenagers accused of killing a police officer in rome are in italy visiting their sons in jail. the father of 18-year-old gabri

james longman, abc news in london. >> both those stories are unbelievable. >>> moving to spacex.ow, its ninth of the year. >> that's a whole bunch. it delivered an israel communications satellite into orbit just hours ago. this was the third launch for this falcon 9 rocket. >> but there won't be a fourth. the rocket needed all of its fuel to push the heavy satellite into orbit and dropped into the ocean off cape canaveral. >> it's always a sight in brevard county when you see those things take off. >>> the new york city pastime of swearing at other drivers may soon be a thing of the past. >> cars are coming to the big apple. the tech company optimist rides unveiled six self-driving vehicles. they're not being used in regular city traffic. the vehicles are operating in an enclosed area. >> so swearing at other drivers because people are nicer here, it's because of driverless cars. i have to say this last week i was out shooting a story. and i was near times square. and i literally almost saw this bicyclist get into a fight with a taxi driver. i was like, is this happening? >> whic

here's abc foreign correspondent james longman. >> reporter: tonight, the amazon rainforest, often calledanet's lungs, is struggling to breathe. record fires causing massive devastation, nearly 73,000 detected by researchers so far this year. an 83% increase from 2018. the fires, visible even from space. those white patches not clouds, but smoke. powerful winds carrying it nearly 1,700 miles away to sao paolo. these images from monday afternoon. drivers forced to use their headlights in the darkness. the major concern, how the wildfires could accelerate climate change. the amazon rainforest produces 20% of the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere. a vital defense against global warming. tonight, brazil's president without evidence suggesting environmental groups may have had a role in the fires as a ploy for money. and david, the president's critics say he's harmed the rain forest since he took office, selling it off to farmers, loggers and miners. david? >> james, thank you. >>> when we come back here tonight, the doctor accused of being intoxicated on the job, now facing charges in the deat

here's james longman in russia tonight. >> reporter: days after that suspected nuclear explosion off the coast of northern russia, new worry about just how much radiation was released. just hours after the blast, residents trying to take their own measurements. after officials first denied any fallout, russian meteorologists now confirm that up to 16 times the normal radiation levels were detected in the area. not deadly, but there's still no independent information on readings closer to the blast. >> it's obviously not on the there is no danger, and i hope there is no danger, it is very worrisome that our government operates with such a lack of transparency. >> reporter: russia insists the air is safe. but more mixed signals. the government ordering an evacuation near the site then abruptly canceling it. the reluctance to release information reminiscent of russian denials decades ago after the infamous nuclear blast at chernobyl. >> james with us live from moscow. putin still has not directly acknowledged this accident? >> reporter: that's right. and he won't want to talk about what

here's abc's james longman. >> reporter: days after that suspected nuclear-powered missile explosion coast of northern russia that killed seven people, new worry about just how much radiation was released. just hours after the blast, residents trying to take their own measurements. after officials first denied any fallout, russian meteorologists now confirm up to 16 times the normal radiation levels were detected in the area. not deadly, but there's still no independent information on readings closer to the blast. >> it's obviously not on the chernobyl scale, but even if there is no danger, and i hope that there is no danger, it's very worrisome that our government operates with such lack of transparency. >> reporter: russia insists the air is safe, but more mixed signals. the government ordering an evacuation near the site, then abruptly canceling it. the reluctance to release information reminiscence of russian denials decades ago after the infamous nuclear blast at chernobyl. vladimir putin won't want to talk about what russia considers military secrets, but this does raise big qu

james longman is in russia as close as he can safely get to that scene. s, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, whit. that's right. we are in the far reaches of northern russia where there's still so much secrecy around that nuclear missile blast. we got as close as we got to the site. let's take a look for ourselves. this morning, looking for answers in northern russia over that nuclear missile explosion which caused a radiation leak more than a week ago. we traveled as close as we were allowed to the blast site. this spot saw a brief radiation spike between 4 and 16 times the normal level. not life-threatening but concerning. i've got a geiger counter here. it shows levels are back to normal. the potentials for far-reaching consequences is clear. the nuclear watchdog saying tiny amounts of radiation have been detected in northern norway over 500 miles away. authorities stressed the level detected though is very low and poses no harm to people or the environment. when word spread about the incident, people rushed out to buy iodine. we tried to buy som

attorney correspondent james longman joins us now from moscow. good morning, james. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it's been almost a week since this incident. the government is still keeping much of what happened secret. radiation is now back to normal, but we should ask, are we still getting the whole picture here? this morning, confusion reigns in russia. orders given to evacuate a small town near the blast site seemingly reversed. now officials denied those orders were ever made, saying that routine measures were in place to address the incident. concern is rising over how much radiation was released from the alleged accident. >> it's really important to test people who live in this village. >> reporter: residents nearby have taken matters into their own hands, testing for radiation with hand-held devices. meteorologists confirm that up to 16 times more than normal levels have been detected. authorities say they returned to normal about an hour later. not a threat to life, but more near the blast site. the government originally down played

officials say the suspect may have been motivated by extremist anti-immigrant views and james longmanas the latest for us. good morning, james. >> reporter: good morning, robin. yeah. that shooting at a norway mosque is being investigated as an attempted terror attack. a gunman opened re afternoon inside the center right outside the capital of oslo. he was brought down by a or shipper worshipper, a very brave man indeed. police describe the suspect as a white norwegian citizen, 20 years old. he's now in custody. the investigation so far has uncovered he expressed extreme right wing views and hostile attitudes toward immigrants. when authorities visited his home, they found his 17-year-old step-sister dead. police are also charging him with her murder. david? >> james longman, thank you. >>> to this massive protests in hong kong bringing one of the busiest airports to a standstill this morning. outbound flights canceled after thousands of demonstrators swarming the main terminal. this comes after a week of violent clashes. hong kong police are defending their use of force including g s

james longman went close to the blast site where locals are concerned about radiation. story from moscow. >> reporter: this morning looking for answers over the nuclear missile explosion which caused a radiation leak more than a week ago. most of this area a no go for foreigners. it's where much of russia's nuclear development industry is based. we went as close as possible to the blast site. this left locals shaken. marie told me she was worried for her little girl. >> my mother told me about this explosion. first i was afraid. >> reporter: russian authorities did not admit to the incident for days. this couple think only foreign pressure forced them to. the potential for far-reaching consequences is clear. norway's nuclear watchdog said tiny amounts of iodine were detected in an air filter station in northern norway, over 500 miles away. authorities stress the level detected is very low and poses no harm to pple or t likely testing a new type of cruise missile dubbed sky fall. this is unpredictable technology. vladimir putin said that missile could hit any target in t

james longman in london. terry moran here in washington. and ian, what's the latest on the protests there overnight, are there signs of military crackdown is imminent? >> reporter: yeah, hi there, martha. first of all, let me paint the scene. people have been streaming past here for almost seven hours now, hundreds of thousands, certainly more than a half a million people came out today. they're calling for democratic change here in hong kong. meanwhile, just across the border, about 20 miles away from here, chinese paramilitary forces have been seen practicing drills. they issued this propaganda video with eerie music overlay, trying to send this warning, if authorities don't act, they possibly will intervene. but that carries huge risks for them. the question is, what's the role for foreign powers in particular america, china accused america of interfering supporting the protesters. however, you do see people here holding the stars and stripes. come upon this bridge now with the giant american flag. and the reason they do that is they wan

abc's james longman has the story. good morning, james. >> reporter: good morning, michael. an extraordinary scene right in the center of sydney and some extraordinary bravery from members of the public who took on this attacker. this morning, dramatic footage showing a man wielding a bloodied knife running through central sydney. despite the risk, brave on lookers running towards the danger, pinning him to the ground with chairs and a milk crate. authorities say the 21-year-old alleged attacker killed one woman and stabbed another as he charged down the crowded street, jumping on the roof of a car, streaming at onlookers, shoot me, shoot me. three british men were among those who stopped his rampage. >> i don't know whether it's an inanythingorng but we were rtrg myroth a ianlod and we >> ty wey nd ofha this on did, with clear evidence of previous are heros. >> reporter: authorities say the alleged attacker acted alone and may have recently come from a mental health facility. those young men say the only thing that went through their minds was, you've got to help people. i'

our foreign correspondent james longman has the latest on this. good morning, james. >> reporter: good morning, cecilia. osama bin laden was perhaps the world's most infamous terrorist and now we know his son an apparent heir is also dead. two u.s. officials tell abc news that hamza bin laden believed to be about 30 was killed at some point over the last two years and u.s. intelligence played a role in the operation but it remains unclear where or how he died. back in february the state department offered a $1 million reward for his capture calling him a key leader. his last public statements came last year when he threatened his native saudi arabia with violent jihad. papers found in the compound where his father was killed in 2011 show he may have been groomed for a prominent role in al qaeda, cecilia. >> he's really being, as you said, labeled as a key leader. do you have a sense of how significant this takedown was? >> reporter: well, certainly on a symbolic level the bin laden name is a powerful recruiting tool for al qaeda. they've been losin

our foreign correspondent james longman is tracking the latest on this. morning, james. >> reporter: good morning, cecilia. president trump has long promised an end to what he calls america's endless war, and this morning, we have new details on some of the specifics of the troop withdraw, but the negotiations have a long way to go. this morning, the major changes planned for america's longest war. the u.s. is looking to withdraw thousands of troops from afghanistan in exchange for a taliban cease fire and commitment to eliminating any safe havens for terrorists. "the washington post" reporting if conditions are met, the united states would specifically reduce the number of troops from 14,000 to between 8,000 and 9,000, roughly the same as when president trump took office. secretary of state mike pompeo teasing progress in afghanistan early they are week. >> in the next handful of weeks, we'll have significant progress we can announce. >> reporter: now this is not a done deal. deadly attacks by the taliban continue, and in some question their real commitm

abc's james longman has the latest. good morning, james. >> reporter: good morning, cecilia. this was a major close call. take a look. tourists out for a boat ride in italy got the shock of their lives when a volcano erupted right in front of them. you can hear them shouting in panic as the smoke and ash shoots up into the air. 1.2 miles up, in fact. as their dinghy is pulled a cloud of hot ash breaks out towards them across the water. it really is like something out of a disaster movie. this was on the island of stromboli, the second time since july this volcano has erupted. luckily no one was hurt this time, but the warning is if larger parts of the volcano break off into the sea, well, that could create dangerous ocean swells. scary stuff, guys. >> the warning, james, if you see a volcano, go in the opposite direction too. >> just go. >> faster, faster. >> that's right. thank you, james. >>> we'll go to the u.s. open and a big win for serena williams surviving a scare at the open last night. the 23-time grand slam champion dropping the first set to unseeded 17-year-old ame

radiation monitoring stations have gone silent are raising new concerns and our foreign correspondent james longman is back from russia with the latest. good morning, james. >> reporter: yeah, good morning. that's right. when i was there people told me they were mostly concerned because they weren't getting enough information and now these radiation systems have gone offline. the picture isn't getting any clearer. this morning, russia's radiation mystery deepens. since that nuclear missile malfunction nearly two weeks ago radiation detection sites across the country are going silent. according to an international nuclear watchdog two bases went dark august 10th, then three days later two further sites stopped transmitting. why? russia won't say. but it's possible authorities are trying to hide data that these sites could have detected following the nuclear blast. that killed five russian scientists and two military personnel and prompted an evacuation that was later canceled. speaking yesterday, vladimir putin said there was no contamination risk or danger of radiation. but given this concern is a

our foreign correspondent james longman has the latest. >> reporter: this morning one of the world'sportant national treasures in flames. they're threatening the most biologically diverse place on earth. and the long term health of our planet. it's an area about half the size of the u.s., these forests produce 20% of the world's oxygen. the fires in the amazon rain forest so huge they're even visible from space. strong winds pushing the smoke hundreds of miles plunging the brazilian city of sao paulo into darkness. celebrities like ariana grande, demi lovato, leonardo dicaprio and kendall jenner all posting on social media to spread awareness. wednesday hundreds took to brazil's streets to protest the government's lack of response. fires are common in the summer but environmental campaigners say this year is worse than ever because brazil's new president has allowed deforestation to accelerate. it's thought an area about the size of a soccer pitch is lost every minute to every day de-forestation. these fires are a reminder the amazon is losing trees at an unsustainable rate. >> have