China has announced more military drills around Taiwan as the self-governing island’s president met with members of a new U.S. congressional delegation on August 15.

China announces new drills as US's 5-member Congressional delegation visits Taiwan

On the one year anniversary of the Taliban rule, the Foreign Affairs Committee of Republicans are getting closer to releasing their report on America's evacuation from Afghanistan.

House REPs to issue report on US withdrawal, scathing report on Afghan drawdown

At a time that's so crucial a poll was conducted by the Center for Public Affairs and the result is worrying. After two years of buckling under a pandemic and worsening economy, climate change has dropped way down on the priority list. Only 50 percent of American adults believe that their actions have an impact on climate change.

WION Climate Tracker | 50% adults believe their actions don't affect climate change

A furious China has reinitiated its military drills around Taiwan. After U.S House speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit, another U.S congressional delegation's arrival in the island on Sunday has added fuel to the fire.

Taiwan: After Nancy Pelosi, congressional delegation visits Taiwan

Ever since Joe Biden took over as US President, his administration has been trying to revive the Iran nuclear deal. After months of negotiations and deliberations, revival over the 2015 deal seems to be around the corner.

Iran confirms progress in Vienna talks

Lawyers for American basketball star Brittney Griner on Monday filed an appeal against her 9-year Russian prison sentence for drugs possession, Russian news agencies reported. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted on Aug. 4. She was arrested in February at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. 
Griner played for a women's basketball team in Yekaterinburg during the WNBA off-season.

Lawyer Maria Blagovolina was quoted by Russian news agencies on Monday as saying the appeal was filed, but the grounds of the appeal were not immediately clear. Blagovolina and co-counsel Alexander Boykov said after the conviction that the sentence was excessive and that in similar cases defendants have received an average sentence of about five years, with about a third of them granted parole.

Griner admitted that she had the canisters in her luggage, but said she had inadvertently packed them in haste and that she had no criminal intent. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain. Before her conviction, the US State Department declared Griner to be wrongfully detained.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/brittney-griner-trial-russia-says-there-is-no-deal-on-swapping-us-basketballer-for-jailed-arms-trafficker-501438">Brittney Griner trial: Russia says there is no deal on swapping US basketballer for jailed arms trafficker</a>

Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the unusual step of revealing publicly in July that the U.S. Had made a substantial proposal&nbsp;to get Griner home, along with Paul Whelan, an American serving a 16-year sentence in Russia for espionage. He did not elaborate, but the AP and other news organizations have reported that the US has offered to free Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in the US and once earned the nickname the Merchant of Death.

On Sunday, a senior Russian diplomat said exchange talks have been conducted. This quite sensitive issue of the swap of convicted Russian and US citizens is being discussed through the channels defined by our presidents. These individuals are, indeed, being discussed. The Russian side has long been seeking the release of Viktor Bout. The details should be left to professionals, proceeding from the do not harm' principle,'&nbsp;Alexander Darchiev, head of the foreign ministry's North America department, told state news agency Tass.

Lawyers for American basketball star Brittney Griner on Monday filed an appeal against her 9-year Russian prison sentence for drugs possession, Russian news agencies reported.

Lawyers for American basketball star Brittney Griner on Monday filed an appeal against her 9-year Russian prison sentence for drugs possession, Russian news agencies reported. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted on Aug. 4. She was arrested in February at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. Griner played for a women's basketball team in Yekaterinburg during the WNBA off-season. Lawyer Maria Blagovolina was quoted by Russian news agencies on Monday as saying the appeal was filed, but the grounds of the appeal were not immediately clear. Blagovolina and co-counsel Alexander Boykov said after the conviction that the sentence was excessive and that in similar cases defendants have received an average sentence of about five years, with about a third of them granted parole. Griner admitted that she had the canisters in her luggage, but said she had inadvertently packed them in haste and that she had no criminal intent. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain. Before her conviction, the US State Department declared Griner to be wrongfully detained. ALSO READ | Brittney Griner trial: Russia says there is no deal on swapping US basketballer for jailed arms trafficker Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the unusual step of revealing publicly in July that the U.S. Had made a substantial proposal to get Griner home, along with Paul Whelan, an American serving a 16-year sentence in Russia for espionage. He did not elaborate, but the AP and other news organizations have reported that the US has offered to free Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in the US and once earned the nickname the Merchant of Death. On Sunday, a senior Russian diplomat said exchange talks have been conducted. This quite sensitive issue of the swap of convicted Russian and US citizens is being discussed through the channels defined by our presidents. These individuals are, indeed, being discussed. The Russian side has long been seeking the release of Viktor Bout. The details should be left to professionals, proceeding from the do not harm' principle,' Alexander Darchiev, head of the foreign ministry's North America department, told state news agency Tass.

Brittney Griner's lawyers file an appeal against her 9-year Russian prison sentence for drugs possession

After US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit, another US Congressional delegation arrived in the island on Sunday. This comes days after China held military drills around the island in retaliation to Pelosi's visit.

Five-member Congressional delegation in Taipei amid China tensions simmering

A congressional delegation from the United States arrived in Taiwan for a visit on Sunday and will be meeting President Tsai Ing-wen during the two-day trip. The visit comes just days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the first high-ranking US official to visit Taepei recently drawing the ire of China. In the aftermath of the visit, tensions have grown between the two nations and China has&nbsp;been conducting military drills around the border separating the Taiwan Strait.

The delegation, led by Senator Ed Markey&nbsp;and comprising four other lawmakers, will be visiting a number of countries in the Indo-Pacific region, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei said.

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"Especially at a time when China is raising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the region with military exercises, Markey leading a delegation to visit Taiwan once again demonstrates the United States Congress' firm support for Taiwan," it said in a statement according to Reuters.

The US authorities have said that the main intention behind the visit is to “reaffirm the United States’ support for Taiwan as guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and Six Assurances, and will encourage stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-plays-jaishankars-clip-at-rally-lauds-india-for-rejecting-us-pressure-on-russia-506710" hreflang="en">Imran Khan plays Jaishankar’s clip at rally, lauds India for resisting US pressure on Russian oil</a>

The group will meet "with elected leaders and members of the private sector to discuss shared interests, including reducing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and expanding economic cooperation, including investments in semiconductors," Markey's office said according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, China kept conducting military drills with as many as eleven aircrafts crossing the Taiwan border on Sunday, according to an official statement released by the defence ministry.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE -

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(With inputs from agencies)

A congressional delegation from the United States arrived in Taiwan for a visit on Sunday and will be meeting President Tsai Ing-wen during the two-day trip. The visit comes just days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the first high-ranking US official to visit Taepei recently drawing the ire of China.

A congressional delegation from the United States arrived in Taiwan for a visit on Sunday and will be meeting President Tsai Ing-wen during the two-day trip. The visit comes just days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the first high-ranking US official to visit Taepei recently drawing the ire of China. In the aftermath of the visit, tensions have grown between the two nations and China has been conducting military drills around the border separating the Taiwan Strait. The delegation, led by Senator Ed Markey and comprising four other lawmakers, will be visiting a number of countries in the Indo-Pacific region, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei said. Also read | 41 killed, 55 injured in Cairo church fire during Mass: Security sources "Especially at a time when China is raising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the region with military exercises, Markey leading a delegation to visit Taiwan once again demonstrates the United States Congress' firm support for Taiwan," it said in a statement according to Reuters. The US authorities have said that the main intention behind the visit is to “reaffirm the United States’ support for Taiwan as guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and Six Assurances, and will encourage stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait." Also read | Imran Khan plays Jaishankar’s clip at rally, lauds India for resisting US pressure on Russian oil The group will meet "with elected leaders and members of the private sector to discuss shared interests, including reducing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and expanding economic cooperation, including investments in semiconductors," Markey's office said according to Reuters. Meanwhile, China kept conducting military drills with as many as eleven aircrafts crossing the Taiwan border on Sunday, according to an official statement released by the defence ministry. WATCH WION LIVE HERE - (With inputs from agencies)

US lawmakers arrive in Taiwan days after Nancy Pelosi's visit angered China

At an&nbsp;emotion-laden&nbsp;UN review of its record on Friday, Washington promised to improve its efforts to combat racial discrimination, but officials ignored requests for compensation for decades of systemic racism. Desiree Cormier Smith, who was recently named as the first US special envoy for racial equity and justice, said, "We need to continue to make strong, concerted efforts to eliminate the scourge of racial discrimination in our country."

She emphasised Washington's commitment to "eliminating systemic racism" in her address to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), but she also noted that there was "so much left to do." At the two days of hearings in Geneva, Cormier Smith, who is herself of African American origin, co-chaired a sizable, diverse US delegation. She stated that "for many of us," the matter was "deeply personal."

An international treaty on eradicating all forms of racial discrimination, which the United States adopted in 1994, is evaluated by a panel of 18 independent experts. The committee questioned the US representatives on subjects such as the treatment of migrants and indigenous people, the rise in hate speech, and police deaths of black people. In their inquiries, other committee members also brought up the subject of restitution.

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However, despite spending hours answering the committee's questions, the US officials did not address the issue before the hearing's allotted time was up. They were given 48 hours to respond in writing. On August 30, the committee is expected to release its conclusions. Many of the human rights activists who had travelled to Geneva to witness the hearings and brief the CERD ahead of the assessment praised the committee for pressuring the US to pay reparations but bemoaned the lack of response.

(with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

At an emotion-laden UN review of its record on Friday, Washington promised to improve its efforts to combat racial discrimination, but officials ignored requests for compensation for decades of systemic racism.

At an emotion-laden UN review of its record on Friday, Washington promised to improve its efforts to combat racial discrimination, but officials ignored requests for compensation for decades of systemic racism. Desiree Cormier Smith, who was recently named as the first US special envoy for racial equity and justice, said, "We need to continue to make strong, concerted efforts to eliminate the scourge of racial discrimination in our country." She emphasised Washington's commitment to "eliminating systemic racism" in her address to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), but she also noted that there was "so much left to do." At the two days of hearings in Geneva, Cormier Smith, who is herself of African American origin, co-chaired a sizable, diverse US delegation. She stated that "for many of us," the matter was "deeply personal." An international treaty on eradicating all forms of racial discrimination, which the United States adopted in 1994, is evaluated by a panel of 18 independent experts. The committee questioned the US representatives on subjects such as the treatment of migrants and indigenous people, the rise in hate speech, and police deaths of black people. In their inquiries, other committee members also brought up the subject of restitution. Also Read: In pics | From Grimus to Quichotte: British-Indian writer Salman Rushdie's finest works However, despite spending hours answering the committee's questions, the US officials did not address the issue before the hearing's allotted time was up. They were given 48 hours to respond in writing. On August 30, the committee is expected to release its conclusions. Many of the human rights activists who had travelled to Geneva to witness the hearings and brief the CERD ahead of the assessment praised the committee for pressuring the US to pay reparations but bemoaned the lack of response. (with inputs from agencies)

US vows to do better in battling racial discrimination at UN review, concedes 'so much left to do'

The United States is facing a worker shortage and the companies across the country are struggling to find employees to fill their vacancies. According to official data, over 10 million openings went unfilled in June this year.

US: Citizens opt for early retirement, lack of workers blamed on strict immigration laws

The US justice department has asked court to unseal the search warrant the FBI received before searching the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump.

DoJ seeks to unseal search warrant of Donald Trump's Florida home

Reports say a European Union proposal to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal “can be acceptable if it provides assurances" on Tehran's key demands. This comes as tensions continue to soar between Washington and Tehran. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

WION Fineprint: Can the world powers salvage the Iran nuclear deal?

Following the US Supreme Court's ruling that overturned the landmark Roe vs Wade, online privacy has become a myth as Big Tech keep collecting the personal details of their users for tracking and surveillance. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

WION Fineprint: Why online privacy is a myth in the Post-Roe world

5 Chinese state-owned companies have decided to delist from the New York Stock Exchange. More Chinese companies could follow suit. Is this the beginning of a decoupling? Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: 5 Chinese companies to leave wall street

Indian-born booker prize winner and author Salman Rushdie was stabbed in the neck at an event in New York. He was rushed to the local hospital and the attacker is in police custody.

Attack on Author Salman Rushdie in the US: Rushdie is on a ventilator after a stabbing attack

Sri Lanka has again taken a U-turn as it has allowed a Chinese vessel to dock in Sri Lanka's Hambanthota port. Now, Washington and Delhi raised a concern.

Sri Lanka allows Chinese vessel to dock, Washington and Delhi raise a concern

Iran and the United States have been enemies for a long time now but in the recent days, the tensions have exploded from the nuclear deal to an alleged killing plot.

Can world powers salvage the nuclear deal? | Tehran slams Washington's 'Iranophobia'

An Afghan envoy has held former President Ashraf Ghani responsible for thousands of troops being murdered during the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.

Afghan envoy holds Ashraf Ghani responsible for thousands of troops being murdered

Author Salman Rushdie on ventilator after stabbing attack by 24-year-old from Fairfield, New Jersey

China has conducted live-fire drills in the Xinjiang region amid tensions with Taiwan. Meanwhile, Taiwan has thanked the US for maintaining peace in the Taiwan strait.

China conducts live-fire drills in the Xinjiang region amid tensions with Taiwan

Sri Lanka allows Chinese vessel to dock, Washington and Delhi raise

Author Salman Rushdie attacked in the US: Politicians & writers express horror & anger

Pakistan's government has slammed PTI for 'Hypocrisy' after PTI hires a PR firm to improve its image in the US. Imran Khan will hold a rally in Lahore tonight.

Pakistan government slams PTI for 'Hypocrisy' as PTI hires PR firm to improve the image in the US

Author Salman Rushdie attacked in the US, likely to lose one eye

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