In brief: U.S. protests ‘dangerous’ actions of Chinese jet

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on Friday accused a Chinese fighter jet of conducting a “dangerous intercept” of a U.S. Navy aircraft off the coast of China in international airspace – the fourth such incident since March.

The Pentagon press secretary, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said Washington protested to the Chinese military through diplomatic channels, calling the fighter pilot’s actions “unsafe and unprofessional.”

Kirby said the Chinese jet made several close passes Aug. 19 by the Navy P-8 Poseidon plane, coming within 30 feet of it at one point. He said the Chinese jet did a “barrel roll” maneuver over the top of the Poseidon at one point and also passed across the nose of the Navy plane, exposing the belly of the fighter in a way apparently designed to show that it was armed.

Mexico police force will focus on organized crime

MEXICO CITY – Mexico launched a special 5,000-strong police force Friday to combat industrial, farm and business crime that has extended throughout the country’s economy, strangling commerce in some regions.

Drug gangs have long penetrated some Mexican mining and agricultural sectors, but officials now reveal that everyone from fishermen to tourist resorts to banana growers have been hit by the wave of extortion, kidnapping and thefts by the gangs.

The new force, known as the gendarmerie, is made up of fresh recruits whose average age is 28 and who have never served on another police force.

Gendarmerie members will be a division of the federal police and will be sent to areas where there is an organized crime presence and there is no economic activity because production is being restricted by the criminals.

Teacher of the year facing charge of sex with student

WEST FARGO, N.D. – A reigning North Dakota teacher of the year was charged Friday with five felony counts for allegedly having sexual contact with a female student more than five years ago.

A complaint filed in East Central District Court charges Aaron Knodel, an English teacher at West Fargo High School, with corruption or solicitation of a minor. He’s scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 5.

Robert Hoy, Knodel’s attorney, said Knodel is not guilty and passed a lie-detector test.

Authorities say the incidents happened in February or March of 2009, including in a classroom, at Knodel’s residence and in the victim’s car. The alleged victim was 17 years old at the time.

Knodel was named the 2014 teacher of the year by North Dakota United, the teachers union.