Top 10 world news: China keeps up pressure on Taiwan, Israel-Palestine agree on ceasefire, and more

The first set of drills ended on Sunday, but the Chinese media has reported that the next round will continue to take place. The authorities also said they detected an unmanned aerial vehicle near the Chinese coastal city of Xiamen and the army fired to repel it from making any progress into the area. In another, according to officials in Gaza, 31 Palestinians have been killed thus far, at least a third of them civilians. Many areas of southern Israel have been paralysed by the missiles, and inhabitants of Tel Aviv and Ashkelon and other cities have been forced to seek refuge. The suggested ceasefire was scheduled to start at 2100 GMT, according to the Egyptian security source.

Click on the headlines to read more:

China has been conducting military drills around Taiwan in the aftermath of the United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the country. Taiwan said on Sunday that China deployed as many as 66 warplanes and 14 warships in the nearby areas with 22 aircrafts crossing the line dividing the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese authorities were not happy with Pelosi visiting Taiwan despite multiple warnings and the military drills are being considered to be a clear show of retaliation.

Israel and Palestinian militants have reached an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza that will begin on Sunday evening, as reported by Reuters. This comes after Israel's weekend shelling of Palestinian targets sparked longer-range rocket assaults against Israeli cities. Israel had accepted the idea, according to an Egyptian security source, while a Palestinian official acquainted with Egyptian operations stated that the truce will begin at 20:00. (1700 GMT).

In the ten months since they gained control, the Taliban were allegedly responsible for extrajudicial executions, torture, arbitrary detentions, and cruel punishments, according to the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). According to a UNAMA investigation, the groups targeted for the breaches included journalists, human rights advocates, and people connected to the overthrown administration. It claimed that women's rights had also been diminished. These pictures depict life in Afghanistan after one year of Taliban rule.

After launching the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D1) on Sunday morning, the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) said the "satellites are no longer usable".

The agreement between Russia and Ukraine to allow the passage of ships carrying food grains in the middle of the crisis was lauded by leaders all around the world. Pope Francis also joined in praising the departure of the ships from the Black Sea ports and said that it can be a “breakthrough” for dialogue that can eventually result in a long-term resolution. The pope has tried to bring the two countries on the discussion table, but no resolution seems likely at present for the ongoing invasion.

Russian occupation authorities at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine said on Sunday that an attack by Ukrainian forces had destroyed administrative buildings within the complex, as reported by AFP. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhzhia, which Russia took control of early in its attack, has recently been the target of military operations that have resulted in the destruction of a number of structures and the forced shutdown of a reactor.

China took drastic decisions to stop the spread of COVID-19 cases in the past few months as the country saw one of the worst surges of the year. The authorities implemented lockdowns in a number of areas, and it also affected the transport in and out of the country. However, with the cases going down, the suspension period for inbound international flights carrying Covid-positive passengers has been shortened for the time being. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) announced that incoming flights carrying the passengers will face a one-week suspension.

A German diplomat was arrested by the police in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday for allegedly killing his Belgian husband and trying to cover up the crime. According to the police report, Uwe Herbert Hahn works at the German consulate, and had reported that hishusband died on Friday under mysterious circumstances. Hahn said that his husband – Walter Henri Maximilien Biot – collapsed and hit fatally hit his head. However, the police told AFP that the analysis of the victim’s body and the house in Ipanema showed that he was severely beaten and that resulted in his death.

Reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen lived up to the expectations at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 as she clinched her maiden gold medal at the Games on Sunday (August 07). The ace Indian boxer defeated Northern Ireland's Carly McNaul in the final of the women's 50kg category to return home with a gold medal for the country.

A letter that John Lennon sent to Paul McCartney in anger after ‘The Beatles’ split is being auctioned. The bidat the auction, held by memorabilia auction firm Gotta Have Rock and Roll, startsat $20,000. Lennon wrote the letter in 1971 that was typewritten and had additional hand-written notes in reaction to an interview that McCartney gave to Melody Maker in which the latter discussed his opinions on John and his wife Yoko Ono, the breakup of the Beatles' business relationship, and several other topics.