The United States began three days of tributes to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Wednesday, as pallbearers carried her flag-draped coffin into the white marble court building and mourners lined up to pay their respects.

US Supreme Court honours Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, US President Donald Trump has slammed China for the Coronavirus pandemic and the millions of lives that it has affected globally. Watch report.

US slams China over COVID-19 pandemic at UNGA

The US Presidential elections are still a month away but polling has begun in seven states in the form of mail-in ballots and absentee voting. Watch report.

US Election 2020: States begin early and absentee voting

A woman was arrested by the US authorities on suspicion of sending a ricin-filled envelope to the White House. Watch report.

Woman who mailed deadly poison to Trump is in custody | World News

As the privately built Space-X Falcon 9 rocket took off in triumph, US President Donald Trump made this declaration to the world - “The United States has regained our place of prestige as the world leader. As has often been stated, you can't be number one on Earth if you are number two in space”.

Four months on, and the race for number one has more contenders, with more countries looking to establish their hegemony in space. But they are all united in achieving one goal - isolating Beijing in space exploration projects.

Sweden

Sweden's state-owned space agency has halted its operations with China. The Swedish Space Corporation was contracted to help Chinese satellites operate from its ground stations across the world. It has now decided to not renew the contract.

China has been forbidden from accessing the ground stations of this space agency in Australia, including the Yathragga and Dongara satellite stations in Western Australia.

The space agency fears that China could use its antennas at these stations for military purposes.

United States

In West Asia, the US Space Force has begun its first mission. A squadron of 20 space operators have been stationed at the Al Udeid air base in Qatar.

Their mission is to track enemy manoeuvres and avert conflicts in space. They have been given the power to jam,&nbsp;hack and blind satellites that pose a heavy security risk. The targets will quite possibly be Iran and China's satellite programmes.

NASA is planning to return to the moon. It has unveiled a new exploration project - the 27 billion dollar Artemis programme, the first such plan in 50 years. The space agency plans to put a man &amp; woman on its lunar lander by 2024.

NASA’s announcement comes on the heels of China's next lunar mission. The Chinese regime is quietly preparing for a November launch of the Chang'e 5 mission. The Pentagon fears that China is trying to militarise the moon, and that it could use its satellites to target America's space-based assets.

India

India too is working to thwart any Chinese misadventures in space.

ISRO is gearing up for a Chandrayaan-3 mission in early 2021. It is also readying its first manned space mission - Gaganyaan - expected to launch in two years.

Space warfare is soon set to be a reality, with satellites and data set to be the new weapons.

As the privately built Space-X Falcon 9 rocket took off in triumph, US President Donald Trump made this declaration to the world - “The United States has regained our place of prestige as the world leader.

As the privately built Space-X Falcon 9 rocket took off in triumph, US President Donald Trump made this declaration to the world - “The United States has regained our place of prestige as the world leader. As has often been stated, you can't be number one on Earth if you are number two in space”. Four months on, and the race for number one has more contenders, with more countries looking to establish their hegemony in space. But they are all united in achieving one goal - isolating Beijing in space exploration projects. Sweden Sweden's state-owned space agency has halted its operations with China. The Swedish Space Corporation was contracted to help Chinese satellites operate from its ground stations across the world. It has now decided to not renew the contract. China has been forbidden from accessing the ground stations of this space agency in Australia, including the Yathragga and Dongara satellite stations in Western Australia. The space agency fears that China could use its antennas at these stations for military purposes. United States In West Asia, the US Space Force has begun its first mission. A squadron of 20 space operators have been stationed at the Al Udeid air base in Qatar. Their mission is to track enemy manoeuvres and avert conflicts in space. They have been given the power to jam, hack and blind satellites that pose a heavy security risk. The targets will quite possibly be Iran and China's satellite programmes. NASA is planning to return to the moon. It has unveiled a new exploration project - the 27 billion dollar Artemis programme, the first such plan in 50 years. The space agency plans to put a man & woman on its lunar lander by 2024. NASA’s announcement comes on the heels of China's next lunar mission. The Chinese regime is quietly preparing for a November launch of the Chang'e 5 mission. The Pentagon fears that China is trying to militarise the moon, and that it could use its satellites to target America's space-based assets. India India too is working to thwart any Chinese misadventures in space. ISRO is gearing up for a Chandrayaan-3 mission in early 2021. It is also readying its first manned space mission - Gaganyaan - expected to launch in two years. Space warfare is soon set to be a reality, with satellites and data set to be the new weapons.

Beijing is slowly being isolated, even in space!

Trump is not popular at the United Nations and his speech this year comes at a time when U.N. members are pushing back against Washington.

'America will always be a leader in human rights', says Donald Trump while addressing UNGA

TikTok's takeover deal in the US now hit yet another road block. TikTok's parent company ByteDance and prospective buyer Oracle has now issued conflicting statements regarding the deal.

TikTok's takeover deal in the US now hit yet another road block

The U.S. government plans to execute William LeCroy, a convicted rapist and murderer, on Tuesday, the sixth in a spate of federal executions after a long hiatus in capital punishment.

The Department of Justice says it will kill LeCroy using lethal injections of pentobarbital, a barbiturate, at its execution chamber in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Under President Donald Trump, who took office in early 2017 and has long been an outspoken advocate for capital punishment, the federal government has executed more men than all of Trump's predecessors combined going back to 1963.

Another execution is planned for Thursday, when Christopher Vialva, a convicted murderer, is set to become the first Black man to face the federal death penalty under Trump.

Trump's administration ended an informal 17-year-hiatus in carrying out the death sentence after announcing last year it would use a new one-drug lethal-injection protocol, replacing the three-drug protocol used in the last federal execution in 2003.

The new protocol revived long-running legal challenges to lethal injections. While a U.S. District Court judge, Tanya Chutkan, in Washington, D.C., last month sided with condemned men who sued the government, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the judge had made "insufficient findings and conclusions" in blocking the execution of Keith Nelson over an issue related to federal safety law on prescription drugs.

Chutkan has previously issued multiple orders halting planned executions while litigation continued, but which were soon overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, whose conservative majority said that legal challenges to pentobarbital injections, which are also used by several state governments to execute prisoners, were unlikely to prevail.

On Sunday, Chutkan declined to halt this week's executions, saying the government's violation of prescription laws did not itself amount to "irreparable harm." She also ruled that the question of whether a condemned man would still be conscious after injection of the caustic drug and suffer agony as his lungs filled with bloody fluid prior to death was "one upon which reasonable minds could differ."

LeCroy was convicted and sentenced to death in Georgia in 2004 for the carjacking, rape and murder of Joann Tiesler, a 30-year-old nurse, after breaking into her home. He was caught two days later in Tiesler's vehicle at the U.S.-Canadian border with notes scribbled on the back of a torn map, according to prosecutors.

"Please, please, please forgive me Joanne," read one note by LeCroy, who misspelled the victim's name. "You were an angel and I killed you. Now I have to live with that and I can never go home. I am a vagabond and doomed to hell."

The U.S. government plans to execute William LeCroy, a convicted rapist and murderer, on Tuesday, the sixth in a spate of federal executions after a long hiatus in capital punishment.

The U.S. government plans to execute William LeCroy, a convicted rapist and murderer, on Tuesday, the sixth in a spate of federal executions after a long hiatus in capital punishment. The Department of Justice says it will kill LeCroy using lethal injections of pentobarbital, a barbiturate, at its execution chamber in Terre Haute, Indiana. Under President Donald Trump, who took office in early 2017 and has long been an outspoken advocate for capital punishment, the federal government has executed more men than all of Trump's predecessors combined going back to 1963. Another execution is planned for Thursday, when Christopher Vialva, a convicted murderer, is set to become the first Black man to face the federal death penalty under Trump. Trump's administration ended an informal 17-year-hiatus in carrying out the death sentence after announcing last year it would use a new one-drug lethal-injection protocol, replacing the three-drug protocol used in the last federal execution in 2003. The new protocol revived long-running legal challenges to lethal injections. While a U.S. District Court judge, Tanya Chutkan, in Washington, D.C., last month sided with condemned men who sued the government, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the judge had made "insufficient findings and conclusions" in blocking the execution of Keith Nelson over an issue related to federal safety law on prescription drugs. Chutkan has previously issued multiple orders halting planned executions while litigation continued, but which were soon overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, whose conservative majority said that legal challenges to pentobarbital injections, which are also used by several state governments to execute prisoners, were unlikely to prevail. On Sunday, Chutkan declined to halt this week's executions, saying the government's violation of prescription laws did not itself amount to "irreparable harm." She also ruled that the question of whether a condemned man would still be conscious after injection of the caustic drug and suffer agony as his lungs filled with bloody fluid prior to death was "one upon which reasonable minds could differ." LeCroy was convicted and sentenced to death in Georgia in 2004 for the carjacking, rape and murder of Joann Tiesler, a 30-year-old nurse, after breaking into her home. He was caught two days later in Tiesler's vehicle at the U.S.-Canadian border with notes scribbled on the back of a torn map, according to prosecutors. "Please, please, please forgive me Joanne," read one note by LeCroy, who misspelled the victim's name. "You were an angel and I killed you. Now I have to live with that and I can never go home. I am a vagabond and doomed to hell."

US to put murderer to death as federal executions spree continues

The arrest of Khanani was seen as a breakthrough by Indian intelligence agencies given the Dawood Ibrahim connection.

Pak national Altaf Khanani's financial relationship with terror organisations

The FinCEN files are more than 2,500 documents, most of which were files that banks sent to the US authorities between 2000 and 2017.

FinCEN Files: All you need to know about the documents leak

The sanctions were suspended in 2015 following a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran in July that year.

US reimposes sanctions on Iran

An envelope containing deadly poison was sent to the White House recently. The incident has created bit of the stir amongst the White house & other law enforcement officials. The envelope believed to have come from Canada contained some kind of a lethal poison called 'ricin'.

Letter containing poison intercepted by law enforcement before it reached to White House

The US Justice Department has revealed that Chinese hackers charged in a multi-nation spying and targetted government networks in India. Watch report.

'Hackers targetted Indian government websites' | US Justice Department reveals

There are 45 days to go for the US Presidential Elections and early voting has started in four states. In-person voting has begun in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.&nbsp;Absentee ballots are also being sent to all voters who have requested a ballot by mail. The last day to request an absentee ballot is the 23rd of October.&nbsp;

Voters have also been given the option of dropping their ballots at local polling centres.

Minnesota is one of the most crucial states this election. Minnesota's capital Minneapolis had recently become a flashpoint of race relations. It was here that George Floyd an unarmed&nbsp;black man had died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck and refused to let go. 
&nbsp; 
In 2016, Hillary Clinton won Minnesota by just 45,000 votes. It was a narrow loss for Donald Trump.

Opinion poll are giving Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden a solid lead.

According to the poll tracking website Real Clear Politics, Biden has consistently been leading in Minnesota by an average of 10.2 points. So Donald Trump is not taking any chances.

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He is going to Minnesota to campaign. Trump has repeatedly said that he would have flipped the state in 2016 if he had made one more appearance.

This time he has a defence prepared even before the results. Trump has suggested that the result of this election could never really be accurately determined.

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&nbsp;

"Because of the new and unprecedented massive amount of unsolicited ballots-- which will be sent to voter, or whatever--- This year, the November 3rd election result may never be accurately determined.---Which is what some want!!!...Another election disaster...Stop ballot madness!!!" Trump has tweeted.

All American states allow mail-in voting in some way. But some states have agreed to make it more accessible to voters.

<ul>
	<li>In 9 American states ballots will be mailed directly to all voters. These states make up for about 44 million voters. This is 21 per cent of the electorate.</li>
	<li>In 34 states, voters can cite Wuhan virus as a reason to vote absentee or they can cast absentee ballots without citing any reason. These states make up for over 118 million voters.</li>
	<li>And in remaining 7 states, voters will need a reason beyond&nbsp;the virus to vote absentee. Which means many voters in these states will have have to vote in person at a polling centre. These 7 states make up for 46 million voters. This is 22 per cent of the total electorate.</li>
</ul>

This election promises to be America's biggest test of voting by mail. &nbsp;A wave of mail-in ballots could overwhelm the postal service and local election bodies.&nbsp;

It could also lead to election fraud. So when Trump says that the results will actually never really be determined, he may have a point.

"We could have five, 10, 15, 20 percent off. We could have more than that. The ballots will be stolen. Who knows where they're going? Who knows where they're coming from? It's not just the counting of the ballots, which by the way, which will take forever. It will take forever...You think November 3rd? You might not have, I guess at a certain point it goes to Congress, you know, at a certain point it goes to Congress. You know that? This is a disgrace. This is being done on purpose. They know it's no good. They know it's it's going to be fraudulent, is going to be fraud all over the place...," said Trump.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-interfering-in-us-elections-targeting-joe-biden-fbi-328417">Russia interfering in US elections, targeting Joe Biden: FBI</a>

Meanwhile, a former model has come forward to accuse the US President of sexually assaulting her. This is a two-decade-old case. The model's name is Amy Dorris. She has alleged that Trump approached her at a 1997 US open tournament in New York.

Dorris, who was 24 years-old at that time, has said that the incident made her feel sick and violated. Trump has denied having harassed, abused or behaving improperly with Dorris. 
&nbsp; 
Trump is also accused of having misused the US Secret Service. A new report says that since Trump took office, his businesses have cost the US Government more than 1 million dollars in private transactions. The Washington Post recently filed a public records lawsuit which forced US Secret Service to release transaction data. The data released included receipts and invoices from Trump's businesses. 
&nbsp; 
The records reveal that Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey charged the secret service more than 21 thousand dollars. The amount was apparently charged for several rooms in March and April when America was under lockdown and the club was closed.

Reports say, that Trump didn't visit these properties during the period but his daughter Ivanka Trump and her family stayed at one of the clubs at least once during the same period.

It remains to be seen how much these controversies impact Trump's chances of re-election. 
&nbsp;

There are 45 days to go for the US Presidential Elections and early voting has started in four states. In-person voting has begun in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.

There are 45 days to go for the US Presidential Elections and early voting has started in four states. In-person voting has begun in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming. Absentee ballots are also being sent to all voters who have requested a ballot by mail. The last day to request an absentee ballot is the 23rd of October. Voters have also been given the option of dropping their ballots at local polling centres. Minnesota is one of the most crucial states this election. Minnesota's capital Minneapolis had recently become a flashpoint of race relations. It was here that George Floyd an unarmed black man had died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck and refused to let go. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won Minnesota by just 45,000 votes. It was a narrow loss for Donald Trump. Opinion poll are giving Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden a solid lead. According to the poll tracking website Real Clear Politics, Biden has consistently been leading in Minnesota by an average of 10.2 points. So Donald Trump is not taking any chances. × He is going to Minnesota to campaign. Trump has repeatedly said that he would have flipped the state in 2016 if he had made one more appearance. This time he has a defence prepared even before the results. Trump has suggested that the result of this election could never really be accurately determined. × "Because of the new and unprecedented massive amount of unsolicited ballots-- which will be sent to voter, or whatever--- This year, the November 3rd election result may never be accurately determined.---Which is what some want!!!...Another election disaster...Stop ballot madness!!!" Trump has tweeted. All American states allow mail-in voting in some way. But some states have agreed to make it more accessible to voters. In 9 American states ballots will be mailed directly to all voters. These states make up for about 44 million voters. This is 21 per cent of the electorate. In 34 states, voters can cite Wuhan virus as a reason to vote absentee or they can cast absentee ballots without citing any reason. These states make up for over 118 million voters. And in remaining 7 states, voters will need a reason beyond the virus to vote absentee. Which means many voters in these states will have have to vote in person at a polling centre. These 7 states make up for 46 million voters. This is 22 per cent of the total electorate. This election promises to be America's biggest test of voting by mail. A wave of mail-in ballots could overwhelm the postal service and local election bodies. It could also lead to election fraud. So when Trump says that the results will actually never really be determined, he may have a point. "We could have five, 10, 15, 20 percent off. We could have more than that. The ballots will be stolen. Who knows where they're going? Who knows where they're coming from? It's not just the counting of the ballots, which by the way, which will take forever. It will take forever...You think November 3rd? You might not have, I guess at a certain point it goes to Congress, you know, at a certain point it goes to Congress. You know that? This is a disgrace. This is being done on purpose. They know it's no good. They know it's it's going to be fraudulent, is going to be fraud all over the place...," said Trump. Also Read | Russia interfering in US elections, targeting Joe Biden: FBI Meanwhile, a former model has come forward to accuse the US President of sexually assaulting her. This is a two-decade-old case. The model's name is Amy Dorris. She has alleged that Trump approached her at a 1997 US open tournament in New York. Dorris, who was 24 years-old at that time, has said that the incident made her feel sick and violated. Trump has denied having harassed, abused or behaving improperly with Dorris. Trump is also accused of having misused the US Secret Service. A new report says that since Trump took office, his businesses have cost the US Government more than 1 million dollars in private transactions. The Washington Post recently filed a public records lawsuit which forced US Secret Service to release transaction data. The data released included receipts and invoices from Trump's businesses. The records reveal that Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey charged the secret service more than 21 thousand dollars. The amount was apparently charged for several rooms in March and April when America was under lockdown and the club was closed. Reports say, that Trump didn't visit these properties during the period but his daughter Ivanka Trump and her family stayed at one of the clubs at least once during the same period. It remains to be seen how much these controversies impact Trump's chances of re-election.

US Elections 2020: Do election fraud claims made by Trump have substance?

With less than 50 days to go for US Elections, the peace treaty offers a rare diplomatic win to Donald Trump. But, will the accords have any meaningful impact on the upcoming polls?

What do Abraham Accords mean for Trump's politics? | WION, in collaboration with VOA, reports

The host of the republican national convention & once a GOP stronghold, North Carolina is now a key battleground state in the upcoming US Election. Though Donald Trump won the state in 2016, the democrats believe they can obtain a blue victory.

Who is leading in the swing states? |  WION, in collaboration with VOA, reports

The United States and Ukraine launched joint military exercises on September 17. 'Raped Trident' exercises that involved close to 4,000 servicemen. Watch report.

Show of strength of US-Ukraine partnership the 'Rapid Trident'

Director of Centre for Disease Control Robert Redfield contradicted President of the United States, Donald Trump, over the possible availability of coronavirus vaccine.

US Health body contradicts Trump's claim on vaccine arrival

According to a report, The United States is set to sell Taiwan $7 billion worth of weapons. Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you how Taiwan is gearing up to take on China.

Gravitas: US could sell Taiwan $7 Billion worth of arms

The US Commerce Department said it will issue an order Friday that will bar people in the United States from downloading Chinese-owned messaging app WeChat and video-sharing app TikTok starting on September 20. Commerce officials said the ban on new U.S. downloads of TikTok could be still rescinded by President Donald Trump before it takes effect late Sunday as TikTok owner ByteDance races to clinch an agreement over the fate of its US operations.

WION Dispatch: US to block TikTok downloads from September 20

Taiwan scrambled fighter jets on Friday as 18 Chinese aircraft buzzed the island, including crossing the sensitive mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, in an escalation of tensions as a senior U.S. official held talks in Taipei.

China had earlier announced the start of combat drills near the Taiwan Strait, denouncing what it called collusion between the island, which it claims as part of its territory, and the United States.

U.S. Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Keith Krach arrived in Taipei on Thursday for a three-day visit, the most senior State Department official to come to Taiwan in four decades - which China had said would prompt a "necessary response".

Beijing has watched with growing alarm the ever-closer relationship between Taipei and Washington, and has stepped up military exercises near the island, including two days of large-scale air and sea drills last week.

With a U.S. presidential election looming in November, Sino-U.S. relations are under huge strain from a trade war, U.S. digital security concerns and the coronavirus pandemic.

Taiwan said 18 Chinese aircraft were involved on Friday, a far larger number than it has previously announced for such encounters.

"Sep. 18, two H-6 bombers, eight J-16 fighters, four J-10 fighters and four J-11 fighters crossed the midline of the TaiwanStrait and entered Taiwan`s southwest ADIZ," the defence ministry said in an English-language tweet.

"ROCAF scrambled fighters, and deployed air defence missile system to monitor the activities." The ROCAF, Taiwan`s air force, has scrambled frequently in recent months in response to Chinese intrusions.

The ministry showed a map of the flight paths of Chinese jets crossing the Taiwan Strait mid-line, which normally combat aircraft from both sides avoid passing through.

Taiwan`s Liberty Times newspaper said Taiwan air force jets had scrambled 17 times on Friday morning over four hours, warning China`s air force to stay away.

It also showed a picture of missiles being loaded onto an F-16 fighter at the Hualien air base on Taiwan`s east coast.

At a press conference on Friday morning a Chinese defence ministry spokesman said Beijing was "holding actual combat exercises near the Taiwan Strait" when asked how Beijing would respond to Krach's visit.

"This is a legitimate and necessary action taken to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the current situation in the Taiwan Strait," Ren Guoqiang told reporters.

Ren also warned that the Chinese army had "sufficient ability" to counter any external threat or challenge from Taiwan separatists.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, to be absorbed into the Chinese mainland — by force if necessary.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/real-possibility-of-war-taiwan-calls-for-global-coalition-against-china-328167">Also read|&nbsp;'Real possibility of war': Taiwan calls for global coalition against China</a>

Relations between the United States and China are at their lowest point in decades, with the two sides clashing over a range of trade, military and security issues as well as the coronavirus pandemic.

China's Communist leadership baulks at any recognition of Taiwan — which has been ruled separately from China since the end of a civil war in 1949 — and has mounted a decades-long policy of marginalising the democratic island.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-defends-military-drills-near-taiwan-after-it-condemns-serious-provocation-327845">Also read|&nbsp;China defends military drills near Taiwan after it condemns 'serious provocation'</a>

Ren accused the United States of "frequently causing trouble" over Taiwan, which he said "is purely China's internal affairs, and we won't tolerate any external interference".

In recent weeks, Taiwan has reported a sharp rise in incursions by Chinese jets into its air defence identification zone.

Washington's increased outreach to Taiwan under US President Donald Trump has become yet another flashpoint between China and America, with US cabinet member Alex Azar visiting last month.

Washington said Krach was visiting Taiwan to attend a memorial service for late president Lee Teng-hui. He will also meet with foreign minister Joseph Wu, and is scheduled to join President Tsai Ing-wen for dinner at her official residence Friday.

Chinese fighter jets briefly crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait last month as the U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar was in Taipei, and last week China carried out two days of large-scale drills off Taiwan`s southwestern coast.

The United States, like most countries, has official ties only with China, not Taiwan, though Washington is the island`s main arms supplier and most important international backer.

This week, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations had lunch with Taiwan`s top envoy in New York. China`s U.N. mission said it had lodged "stern representations" over the meeting.

(with inputs from agencies)

Taiwan scrambled fighter jets on Friday as 18 Chinese aircraft buzzed the island, including crossing the sensitive mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, in an escalation of tensions as a senior U.

Taiwan scrambled fighter jets on Friday as 18 Chinese aircraft buzzed the island, including crossing the sensitive mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, in an escalation of tensions as a senior U.S. official held talks in Taipei. China had earlier announced the start of combat drills near the Taiwan Strait, denouncing what it called collusion between the island, which it claims as part of its territory, and the United States. U.S. Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Keith Krach arrived in Taipei on Thursday for a three-day visit, the most senior State Department official to come to Taiwan in four decades - which China had said would prompt a "necessary response". Beijing has watched with growing alarm the ever-closer relationship between Taipei and Washington, and has stepped up military exercises near the island, including two days of large-scale air and sea drills last week. With a U.S. presidential election looming in November, Sino-U.S. relations are under huge strain from a trade war, U.S. digital security concerns and the coronavirus pandemic. Taiwan said 18 Chinese aircraft were involved on Friday, a far larger number than it has previously announced for such encounters. "Sep. 18, two H-6 bombers, eight J-16 fighters, four J-10 fighters and four J-11 fighters crossed the midline of the TaiwanStrait and entered Taiwan`s southwest ADIZ," the defence ministry said in an English-language tweet. "ROCAF scrambled fighters, and deployed air defence missile system to monitor the activities." The ROCAF, Taiwan`s air force, has scrambled frequently in recent months in response to Chinese intrusions. The ministry showed a map of the flight paths of Chinese jets crossing the Taiwan Strait mid-line, which normally combat aircraft from both sides avoid passing through. Taiwan`s Liberty Times newspaper said Taiwan air force jets had scrambled 17 times on Friday morning over four hours, warning China`s air force to stay away. It also showed a picture of missiles being loaded onto an F-16 fighter at the Hualien air base on Taiwan`s east coast. At a press conference on Friday morning a Chinese defence ministry spokesman said Beijing was "holding actual combat exercises near the Taiwan Strait" when asked how Beijing would respond to Krach's visit. "This is a legitimate and necessary action taken to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the current situation in the Taiwan Strait," Ren Guoqiang told reporters. Ren also warned that the Chinese army had "sufficient ability" to counter any external threat or challenge from Taiwan separatists. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, to be absorbed into the Chinese mainland — by force if necessary. Also read| 'Real possibility of war': Taiwan calls for global coalition against China Relations between the United States and China are at their lowest point in decades, with the two sides clashing over a range of trade, military and security issues as well as the coronavirus pandemic. China's Communist leadership baulks at any recognition of Taiwan — which has been ruled separately from China since the end of a civil war in 1949 — and has mounted a decades-long policy of marginalising the democratic island. Also read| China defends military drills near Taiwan after it condemns 'serious provocation' Ren accused the United States of "frequently causing trouble" over Taiwan, which he said "is purely China's internal affairs, and we won't tolerate any external interference". In recent weeks, Taiwan has reported a sharp rise in incursions by Chinese jets into its air defence identification zone. Washington's increased outreach to Taiwan under US President Donald Trump has become yet another flashpoint between China and America, with US cabinet member Alex Azar visiting last month. Washington said Krach was visiting Taiwan to attend a memorial service for late president Lee Teng-hui. He will also meet with foreign minister Joseph Wu, and is scheduled to join President Tsai Ing-wen for dinner at her official residence Friday. Chinese fighter jets briefly crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait last month as the U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar was in Taipei, and last week China carried out two days of large-scale drills off Taiwan`s southwestern coast. The United States, like most countries, has official ties only with China, not Taiwan, though Washington is the island`s main arms supplier and most important international backer. This week, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations had lunch with Taiwan`s top envoy in New York. China`s U.N. mission said it had lodged "stern representations" over the meeting. (with inputs from agencies)

Taiwan scrambles jets as 18 Chinese planes buzz island

Krach, the highest-level State Department official to visit the island in decades, is to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and other senior officials

China threatens necessary response to US-Taiwan meet

Prosecutors in Washington have charged a US citizen for joining the so-called Islamic State group in Syria, according to a statement from the Justice Department Wednesday.&nbsp;

The charges allege that Lirim Sylejmani conspired to provide and provided material support to IS, which the United States has classified as a terrorist organization, between 2015 and 2019.&nbsp;

The department also claimed he received military training from the self-styled caliphate.&nbsp;

"The defendant is a US citizen who abandoned the country that welcomed him to join ISIS in Syria," acting US Attorney Sherwin said in the statement of Sylejmani, who was born in Kosovo. "He will now be held accountable for his actions in an American courtroom."

Sylejmani was captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) last year, according to the statement, before facing investigation by the FBI's Washington Field Office Joint Terrorism Task Force.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-brings-back-child-trapped-in-syria-dominic-raab-327904">Also read| UK brings back child trapped in Syria: Dominic Raab</a>

The question of how to handle captured foreign IS fighters has vexed Western governments, with the US vying for European countries to repatriate and try their own citizens.&nbsp;

Nations such as France and Britain reject the return of battle-hardened supporters of the ultra-violent IS group, which has claimed responsibility for a slew of grisly attacks against civilians.

Some European governments, including Britain, have revoked the citizenship of a number of citizens over alleged IS links.&nbsp;

But the US has pushed back against these approaches.&nbsp;

"Leaving them in the desert is not an effective solution. It makes it more likely they're going to find their way back to the battlefield, and accepting that risk is not being tough on terrorism," the US State Department's counterterrorism coordinator Nathan Sales told a meeting in Brussels last year.&nbsp;

Plus, it could put an undue burden on Middle Eastern countries already dealing with their own former IS-fighter citizens, according to the US.&nbsp;

The EU-backed Genocide Network this spring advocated that returning IS foreign fighters should be charged with war crimes under international law — such as genocide or crimes against humanity — in addition to whatever terrorism charges they may face at home.&nbsp;

As of May, some 2,000 fighters were still detained by Syrian forces and another 1,000 were in detention in Iraq, many of them European citizens mainly from France, Britain and Germany.

Prosecutors in Washington have charged a US citizen for joining the so-called Islamic State group in Syria, according to a statement from the Justice Department Wednesday.

Prosecutors in Washington have charged a US citizen for joining the so-called Islamic State group in Syria, according to a statement from the Justice Department Wednesday. The charges allege that Lirim Sylejmani conspired to provide and provided material support to IS, which the United States has classified as a terrorist organization, between 2015 and 2019. The department also claimed he received military training from the self-styled caliphate. "The defendant is a US citizen who abandoned the country that welcomed him to join ISIS in Syria," acting US Attorney Sherwin said in the statement of Sylejmani, who was born in Kosovo. "He will now be held accountable for his actions in an American courtroom." Sylejmani was captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) last year, according to the statement, before facing investigation by the FBI's Washington Field Office Joint Terrorism Task Force. Also read| UK brings back child trapped in Syria: Dominic Raab The question of how to handle captured foreign IS fighters has vexed Western governments, with the US vying for European countries to repatriate and try their own citizens. Nations such as France and Britain reject the return of battle-hardened supporters of the ultra-violent IS group, which has claimed responsibility for a slew of grisly attacks against civilians. Some European governments, including Britain, have revoked the citizenship of a number of citizens over alleged IS links. But the US has pushed back against these approaches. "Leaving them in the desert is not an effective solution. It makes it more likely they're going to find their way back to the battlefield, and accepting that risk is not being tough on terrorism," the US State Department's counterterrorism coordinator Nathan Sales told a meeting in Brussels last year. Plus, it could put an undue burden on Middle Eastern countries already dealing with their own former IS-fighter citizens, according to the US. The EU-backed Genocide Network this spring advocated that returning IS foreign fighters should be charged with war crimes under international law — such as genocide or crimes against humanity — in addition to whatever terrorism charges they may face at home. As of May, some 2,000 fighters were still detained by Syrian forces and another 1,000 were in detention in Iraq, many of them European citizens mainly from France, Britain and Germany.

US charges citizen with providing support to IS

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