It is going to be a long-term proposition for India -- which has a decades-old relationship with Moscow -- to reorient its foreign policy away from Russia, the US has said, insisting that re-aligning one's approach is not like flipping a light switch.
When asked about India increasing its imports of Russian oil and fertilisers and potentially buying the Russian air defence systems, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, "It is not for me to speak about another country's foreign policy." "But what I can do is point out what we have heard from India. We have seen countries around the world speak clearly, including with their votes in the UN General Assembly against Russia's aggression in Ukraine," Price told reporters here.
"But we also recognise, as I was saying just a moment ago, that this is not flipping a light switch,” he said on Wednesday.
“This is something that, especially for countries that have historical relationships with Russia. Relationships that, as is the case with India, extend back decades, it is going to be a long-term proposition to re-orient foreign policy away from Russia,” he said in response to a question.
The US and European nations have imposed heavy sanctions on Russia since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24.
India has raised oil imports from Russia after the Ukraine war despite criticism from the West and continues to engage with Moscow for business.
In May, Russia overtook Saudi Arabia to become India's second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq as refiners snapped up Russian crude available at a deep discount following the war in Ukraine.
Indian refiners bought about 25 million barrels of Russian oil in May.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said New Delhi had not been defensive about its stand on buying Russian oil but made the US and others realise that the government had the "moral duty" to ensure that the people got the "best deal".
In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the then-Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.
The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. The US has already imposed sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.
The US, Price said, has worked very closely with India bilaterally and through the Quad grouping “to signal, and the Indians have done so very clearly what should be the inviolable principle of state sovereignty”.
Price also responded to a series of questions on a multilateral joint military exercise that involves Russia and China and several other countries, including India, saying countries routinely make their own sovereign decisions.
"It is absolutely their right to do so regarding what, if any, military exercises to take part in. I'll also note that most of the participating countries also routinely participate in a wide array of military exercises and exchanges with the United States as well," he said.
The US does not read anything into their engagements in this activity, Price said.
"Now, the broader point is that we have seen a burgeoning relationship, including in the security realm between the PRC (People's Republic of China) and Russia. We've seen a burgeoning relationship between Russia and Iran for example, and we have made public elements of that,” he said.
"That is of concern because of the vision that countries like China and Russia have for the international order," Price said.
It is a vision that is starkly at odds with the liberal vision that the US and its allies and partners have for the international system, he said.
"It is starkly at odds with the underpinnings of the international system that has been in place for some eight decades following the end of the second World War, a system that has undergirded unprecedented levels of stability, security, prosperity across the world that includes including Europe, Indo-Pacific and everywhere in between," he noted.
"It is the difference between a profoundly liberal order and a profoundly illiberal order in which all of the principles that the United States, that our allies, that our partners, that the United Nations, and that, by the way, countries like Russia and China have previously stood for and in some cases still profess to stand for,” Price said.
It is a vision that is profoundly opposed to many of those principles, he added.
"…We've been very clear in our engagements with the PRC regarding the consequences of doing so. We have yet to see any change in the PRC's behaviour indicating that they are moving in that direction,” Price said.

Not like flipping a light switch: US on India-Russia relations

In May, Russia overtook Saudi Arabia to become India's second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq

It is going to be a long-term proposition for India -- which has a decades-old relationship with Moscow -- to reorient its foreign policy away from Russia, the US has said, insisting that re-aligning one's approach is not like flipping a light switch.
When asked about India increasing its imports of Russian oil and fertilisers and potentially buying the Russian air defence systems, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, "It is not for me to speak about another country's foreign policy." "But what I can do is point out what we have heard from India. We have seen countries around the world speak clearly, including with their votes in the UN General Assembly against Russia's aggression in Ukraine," Price told reporters here.
"But we also recognise, as I was saying just a moment ago, that this is not flipping a light switch,&rdquo; he said on Wednesday.
&ldquo;This is something that, especially for countries that have historical relationships with Russia. Relationships that, as is the case with India, extend back decades, it is going to be a long-term proposition to re-orient foreign policy away from Russia,&rdquo; he said in response to a question.
The US and European nations have imposed heavy sanctions on Russia since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24.
India has raised oil imports from Russia after the Ukraine war despite criticism from the West and continues to engage with Moscow for business.
In May, Russia overtook Saudi Arabia to become India's second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq as refiners snapped up Russian crude available at a deep discount following the war in Ukraine.
Indian refiners bought about 25 million barrels of Russian oil in May.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said New Delhi had not been defensive about its stand on buying Russian oil but made the US and others realise that the government had the "moral duty" to ensure that the people got the "best deal".
In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the then-Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.
ALSO WATCH: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/nsa-ajit-doval-in-moscow-amid-russia-s-continued-offensive-in-ukraine-1660787291008">NSA Ajit Doval in Moscow amid Russia's continued offensive in Ukraine</a>
The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. The US has already imposed sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.
The US, Price said, has worked very closely with India bilaterally and through the Quad grouping &ldquo;to signal, and the Indians have done so very clearly what should be the inviolable principle of state sovereignty&rdquo;.
Price also responded to a series of questions on a multilateral joint military exercise that involves Russia and China and several other countries, including India, saying countries routinely make their own sovereign decisions.
"It is absolutely their right to do so regarding what, if any, military exercises to take part in. I'll also note that most of the participating countries also routinely participate in a wide array of military exercises and exchanges with the United States as well," he said.
The US does not read anything into their engagements in this activity, Price said.
"Now, the broader point is that we have seen a burgeoning relationship, including in the security realm between the PRC (People's Republic of China) and Russia. We've seen a burgeoning relationship between Russia and Iran for example, and we have made public elements of that,&rdquo; he said.
"That is of concern because of the vision that countries like China and Russia have for the international order," Price said.
It is a vision that is starkly at odds with the liberal vision that the US and its allies and partners have for the international system, he said.
"It is starkly at odds with the underpinnings of the international system that has been in place for some eight decades following the end of the second World War, a system that has undergirded unprecedented levels of stability, security, prosperity across the world that includes including Europe, Indo-Pacific and everywhere in between," he noted.
"It is the difference between a profoundly liberal order and a profoundly illiberal order in which all of the principles that the United States, that our allies, that our partners, that the United Nations, and that, by the way, countries like Russia and China have previously stood for and in some cases still profess to stand for,&rdquo; Price said.
It is a vision that is profoundly opposed to many of those principles, he added.
"&hellip;We've been very clear in our engagements with the PRC regarding the consequences of doing so. We have yet to see any change in the PRC's behaviour indicating that they are moving in that direction,&rdquo; Price said.

A video going viral on the internet captured the sight of a giant waterspout in northwest Florida.Boo Freeman captured video of the huge funnel cloud that touched down in the Gulf of Mexico.The clip also showed the thunderstorms that accompanied the waterspout.These waterspouts, also known tornado over water, were formed on Tuesday by severe thunderstorms in northwest Florida. The natural phenomenon often amazes people and sometimes also moves from land to water.

This video of tornado-like waterspout is going viral

Waterspouts, also known tornado over water, were formed on Tuesday by severe thunderstorms in northwest Florida.

A video going viral on the internet captured the sight of a giant waterspout in northwest Florida. Boo Freeman captured video of the huge funnel cloud that touched down in the Gulf of Mexico. The clip also showed the thunderstorms that accompanied the waterspout. These waterspouts, also known tornado over water, were formed on Tuesday by severe thunderstorms in northwest Florida. The natural phenomenon often amazes people and sometimes also moves from land to water.
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Authorities say more human remains have been found in Lake Mead, as water levels in the giant reservoir shrink during an unprecedented drought.
KTNV television reports that park rangers got a call Tuesday evening from someone who spotted the remains near a beach used for swimming.
Authorities continued searching the area on Wednesday.
They say this is the fifth set of human remains found in the lake as water levels have dropped.
Lake Mead was created by the Hoover Dam, near Las Vegas.

US lake hit by drought, authorities find remans of 5 humans 

Authorities got a call from someone who spotted the new remains near a beach used for swimming and a search was launched.&nbsp;

Authorities say more human remains have been found in Lake Mead, as water levels in the giant reservoir shrink during an unprecedented drought.
KTNV television reports that park rangers got a call Tuesday evening from someone who spotted the remains near a beach used for swimming.
Authorities continued searching the area on Wednesday.
They say this is the fifth set of human remains found in the lake as water levels have dropped.
Lake Mead was created by the Hoover Dam, near Las Vegas.
ALSO WATCH: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/germany-damaged-cargo-ship-blocks-traffic-at-drought-hit-rhine-1660787018367">Germany: damaged cargo ship blocks traffic at drought-hit Rhine</a>

Cops usually have a prime suspect. In this case it's a primate suspect.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office believes it was a little Capuchin monkey that called 911 from a zoo last Saturday night.
The call disconnected and dispatchers tried to call and text back but there was no response, so deputies were sent to investigate, the office said in a social media post.
The address turned out to be the Zoo to You near Paso Robles, but the deputies found that no one there made the call.
They finally deduced that a Capuchin monkey named Route had apparently picked up the zoo's cellphone, which was in a golf cart used to move about the property.

Monkey called 911 from zoo, this is what happened next

The San Luis police in the US believes it was a little Capuchin monkey that called 911 from a zoo.

Cops usually have a prime suspect. In this case it's a primate suspect.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office believes it was a little Capuchin monkey that called 911 from a zoo last Saturday night.
The call disconnected and dispatchers tried to call and text back but there was no response, so deputies were sent to investigate, the office said in a social media post.
The address turned out to be the Zoo to You near Paso Robles, but the deputies found that no one there made the call.
They finally deduced that a Capuchin monkey named Route had apparently picked up the zoo's cellphone, which was in a golf cart used to move about the property.
ALSO WATCH: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/us-lake-hit-by-drought-authorities-find-remans-of-5-humans-1660797896039">US lake hit by drought, authorities find remans of 5 humans</a>

The man charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie on a lecture stage in western New York said in an interview that he was surprised to learn the accomplished author had survived the attack.
Speaking to the New York Post from jail, Hadi Matar said he decided to see Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution after he saw a tweet last winter about the writer's planned appearance.
“I don't like the person. I don't think he's a very good person,” Matar told the newspaper. “He's someone who attacked Islam. He attacked their beliefs, the belief systems.” Matar, 24, said he considered late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini “a great person” but wouldn't say whether he was following a fatwa, or edict, issued by Khomeini in Iran in 1989 that called for Rushdie's death after the author published “The Satanic Verses.” Iran has denied involvement in the attack. Matar, who lives in Fairview, New Jersey, said he hadn't had any contact with Iran's Revolutionary Guard. He told the Post he had only read “a couple pages” of “The Satanic Verses.” Rushdie, 75, suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, according to his agent, in the attack Friday. His agent, Andrew Wylie, said his condition has improved and he is on the road to recovery.
Matar, who is charged with attempted murder and assault, told the Post he took a bus to Buffalo the day before the attack and then took a Lyft to Chautauqua, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) away.
He bought a pass to the Chautauqua Institution grounds and then slept in the grass the night before Rushdie's planned talk.

Salman Rushdie's attacker: 'I don't think he is a good person'

Speaking to the New York Post from jail, Hadi Matar said he decided to see Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution after he saw a tweet last winter about the writer's planned appearance.

The man charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie on a lecture stage in western New York said in an interview that he was surprised to learn the accomplished author had survived the attack.
Speaking to the New York Post from jail, Hadi Matar said he decided to see Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution after he saw a tweet last winter about the writer's planned appearance.
&ldquo;I don't like the person. I don't think he's a very good person,&rdquo; Matar told the newspaper. &ldquo;He's someone who attacked Islam. He attacked their beliefs, the belief systems.&rdquo; Matar, 24, said he considered late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini &ldquo;a great person&rdquo; but wouldn't say whether he was following a fatwa, or edict, issued by Khomeini in Iran in 1989 that called for Rushdie's death after the author published &ldquo;The Satanic Verses.&rdquo; Iran has denied involvement in the attack. Matar, who lives in Fairview, New Jersey, said he hadn't had any contact with Iran's Revolutionary Guard. He told the Post he had only read &ldquo;a couple pages&rdquo; of &ldquo;The Satanic Verses.&rdquo; Rushdie, 75, suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, according to his agent, in the attack Friday. His agent, Andrew Wylie, said his condition has improved and he is on the road to recovery.
Matar, who is charged with attempted murder and assault, told the Post he took a bus to Buffalo the day before the attack and then took a Lyft to Chautauqua, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) away.
He bought a pass to the Chautauqua Institution grounds and then slept in the grass the night before Rushdie's planned talk.
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A bombing at a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul during evening prayers on Wednesday killed at least 10 people, including a prominent cleric, an eyewitness and police said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. 
According to the eyewitness, the explosion was carried out by a suicide bomber. 
He added that more than 30 other people were wounded. The Italian Emergency hospital in Kabul said that at least 27 wounded civilians, including five children, were brought there from the site of the bomb blast.
Khalid Zadran, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Kabul police chief, confirmed an explosion inside a mosque in northern Kabul but did not provide a casualty toll or a breakdown of the dead and wounded.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also condemned the explosion and vowed that the “perpetrators of such crimes will soon be brought to justice and will be punished." A U.S.-led invasion toppled the previous Taliban government, which had hosted al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Since regaining power, the former insurgents have faced a crippling economic crisis as the international community, which does not recognize the Taliban government, froze funding to the country.
Separately, the Taliban confirmed on Wednesday that they had captured and killed Mehdi Mujahid in western Herat province as he was trying to cross the border into Iran.
Mujahid was a former Taliban commander in the district of Balkhab in northern Sar-e-Pul province, and the only member of the minority Shiite Hazara community among the Taliban ranks.
Mujahid had turned against the Taliban over the past year, after opposing decisions made by Taliban leaders in Kabul. 

Blast at Kabul mosque kills 10, including prominent cleric

A bombing at a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul during evening prayers on Wednesday killed at least 10 people, including a prominent cleric, an eyewitness and police said.

A bombing at a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul during evening prayers on Wednesday killed at least 10 people, including a prominent cleric, an eyewitness and police said.

A bombing at a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul during evening prayers on Wednesday killed at least 20 people, including a prominent cleric, an eyewitness and police said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.&nbsp;
According to the eyewitness, the explosion was carried out by a suicide bomber.&nbsp;
He added that more than 30 other people were wounded. The Italian Emergency hospital in Kabul said that at least 27 wounded civilians, including five children, were brought there from the site of the bomb blast.
Khalid Zadran, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Kabul police chief, confirmed an explosion inside a mosque in northern Kabul but did not provide a casualty toll or a breakdown of the dead and wounded.
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Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also condemned the explosion and vowed that the &ldquo;perpetrators of such crimes will soon be brought to justice and will be punished." A U.S.-led invasion toppled the previous Taliban government, which had hosted al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Since regaining power, the former insurgents have faced a crippling economic crisis as the international community, which does not recognize the Taliban government, froze funding to the country.
Separately, the Taliban confirmed on Wednesday that they had captured and killed Mehdi Mujahid in western Herat province as he was trying to cross the border into Iran.
Mujahid was a former Taliban commander in the district of Balkhab in northern Sar-e-Pul province, and the only member of the minority Shiite Hazara community among the Taliban ranks.
Mujahid had turned against the Taliban over the past year, after opposing decisions made by Taliban leaders in Kabul.&nbsp;

A Russian spacewalk has been cut short because of a bad battery in a cosmonaut's suit.
Mission Control outside Moscow ordered Oleg Artemyev back into the International Space Station when his battery voltage dropped suddenly Wednesday, barely two hours into the spacewalk.
He hurried back to the airlock and hooked his suit to station power. His spacewalking partner, Denis Matveev, remained outside for another hour, before he, too, was ordered back in.
NASA says neither man was ever in any danger.
The spacewalk involving work on a new European robot arm was supposed to last more than six hours.

Russian spacewalk cut short by bad battery in cosmonaut's suit

A Russian spacewalk has been cut short because of a bad battery in a cosmonaut's suit.

Mission Control outside Moscow ordered Oleg Artemyev back into the International Space Station when his battery voltage dropped suddenly Wednesday, barely two hours into the spacewalk.

A Russian spacewalk has been cut short because of a bad battery in a cosmonaut's suit.
Mission Control outside Moscow ordered Oleg Artemyev back into the International Space Station when his battery voltage dropped suddenly Wednesday, barely two hours into the spacewalk.
He hurried back to the airlock and hooked his suit to station power. His spacewalking partner, Denis Matveev, remained outside for another hour, before he, too, was ordered back in.
NASA says neither man was ever in any danger.
The spacewalk involving work on a new European robot arm was supposed to last more than six hours.
ALSO WATCH: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/mega-submarine-deal-russian-official-says-project-design-is-good-but-implementation-in-india-problematic-1660642716275">Mega submarine deal: Russian official says project design is good but implementation in India problematic</a>

A stranded cargo ship caused traffic to be halted Wednesday at the Rhine river in western Germany after suffering a technical fault, authorities said, at a time when water transport was already ailing from a drought.
The vessel is stuck at St Goar and Oberwesel, in between the cities of Mainz and Koblenz, water police said, adding that they were expecting to clear the stricken ship within the day.
The machine damage came as water levels in the Rhine had dropped to critical points at several locations, including at nearby Kaub -- a known bottleneck for shipping where the river runs narrow and shallow.
The gauge at Kaub stood at 34 cm (13 inches) on Wednesday, well below the 40-cm reference point.
While vessels are still able to navigate at low water levels, they are forced to reduce their loads to avoid the risk of running aground.
About four percent of freight is transported on waterways in Germany, including on the Rhine, which originates in Switzerland and runs through several countries including France and Germany before flowing into the sea in the Netherlands.
Transport on the Rhine has gained significance in recent months because among cargo moved on the river is coal, now all the more necessary as Germany seeks to wean itself off Russian gas.
Germany's biggest companies have already warned that major disruptions to river traffic could deal another blow to an economy already beset by logistical difficulties.
The 2018 drought, which saw the benchmark depth of the Rhine in Kaub drop to 25 cm in October, shrank German GDP by 0.2 percent that year, according to Deutsche Bank Research.
(AFP)

Germany: damaged cargo ship blocks traffic at drought-hit Rhine

A stranded cargo ship caused traffic to be halted Wednesday at the Rhine river in western Germany after suffering a technical fault, authorities said, at a time when water transport was already ailing from a drought.

The machine damage came as water levels in the Rhine had dropped to critical points at several locations.

A stranded cargo ship caused traffic to be halted Wednesday at the Rhine river in western Germany after suffering a technical fault, authorities said, at a time when water transport was already ailing from a drought.
The vessel is stuck at St Goar and Oberwesel, in between the cities of Mainz and Koblenz, water police said, adding that they were expecting to clear the stricken ship within the day.
The machine damage came as water levels in the Rhine had dropped to critical points at several locations, including at nearby Kaub -- a known bottleneck for shipping where the river runs narrow and shallow.
The gauge at Kaub stood at 34 cm (13 inches) on Wednesday, well below the 40-cm reference point.
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While vessels are still able to navigate at low water levels, they are forced to reduce their loads to avoid the risk of running aground.
About four percent of freight is transported on waterways in Germany, including on the Rhine, which originates in Switzerland and runs through several countries including France and Germany before flowing into the sea in the Netherlands.
Transport on the Rhine has gained significance in recent months because among cargo moved on the river is coal, now all the more necessary as Germany seeks to wean itself off Russian gas.
Germany's biggest companies have already warned that major disruptions to river traffic could deal another blow to an economy already beset by logistical difficulties.
The 2018 drought, which saw the benchmark depth of the Rhine in Kaub drop to 25 cm in October, shrank German GDP by 0.2 percent that year, according to Deutsche Bank Research.
(AFP)

A violent storm hit the French capital on Tuesday, with heavy rainfall disrupting metros, major train links and traffic.
Winds over 100 kph were recorded at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Streets in Paris were flooded, and rainwater was seen gushing down metro station stairwells.
The dramatic downpour put an end to weeks of a historic heatwave that left much of France parched, rivers dry and dozens of villages without running water.
 

Paris: heavy downpour triggers flood-like situation

Winds over 100 kph were recorded at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

The dramatic downpour put an end to weeks of a historic heatwave that left much of France parched, rivers dry and dozens of villages without running water.

A violent storm hit the French capital on Tuesday, with heavy rainfall disrupting metros, major train links and traffic.
Winds over 100 kph were recorded at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Streets in Paris were flooded, and rainwater was seen gushing down metro station stairwells.
The dramatic downpour put an end to weeks of a historic heatwave that left much of France parched, rivers dry and dozens of villages without running water.
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/fire-near-london-bridge-causes-major-travel-disruption-1660740870556">Fire near London bridge causes major travel disruption</a>

Taiwan is staging military exercises to show its ability to resist Chinese pressure to accept Beijing's political control over the self-governing island, following new rounds of threatening drills from China.
The exercises Wednesday off the southeastern county of Hualien follow days of Chinese missile firings and incursions into Taiwan's sea and airspace by ships and planes from the People's Liberation Army, the military wing of China's ruling Communist Party.
“We strongly condemn Communist China's continuous military provocations around Taiwan's sea and air that undermine regional peace," Taiwan Defence Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang told reporters at Hualien Air Force Base.
“Communist China's military operations just provide us with the opportunity for combat-readiness training," Sun said.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said China was using recent visits by US Congress members including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a pretext for escalating its attempts to intimidate Taiwan into accepting what it calls its terms for “peaceful reunification".
“China launched military provocations on these grounds. This is absurd and a barbaric act, which also undermines regional stability and interferes with shipping and commercial activities in the Indo-Pacific region," Ou said.
China sees the island as a breakaway province to be annexed by force if necessary, and considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognising its sovereignty.
Alongside its military threats, China imposed visa bans and other sanctions Tuesday on Taiwanese political figures. China exercises no effective legal authority over Taiwan and it's unclear what effect the sanctions would have.
China has refused all contact with Taiwan's government since shortly after the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. Tsai was overwhelmingly reelected in 2020.
The DPP also controls the legislature, while the vast majority of Taiwanese favor maintaining the status quo of de facto independence along with strong economic and social connections between the sides.
China accuses Washington of encouraging the island's independence through the sale of weapons and engagement between US politicians and the island's government. The US says it does not support independence and has no formal diplomatic ties with the island, but it is legally bound to ensure Taiwan can defend itself against threats from China, including a blockade.
Aside from putting its military on alert, Taiwan has largely played down the threat from the Chinese exercises and life has continued as normal among a population of 23 million that has lived under the shadow of bellicose rhetoric and saber rattling from China for more than seven decades.

Taiwan, China hold opposing military drills amid tensions

Taiwan is staging military exercises to show its ability to resist Chinese pressure to accept Beijing's political control over the self-governing island, following new rounds of threatening drills from China.

The exercises Wednesday off the southeastern county of Hualien follow days of Chinese missile firings and incursions into Taiwan's sea and airspace

Taiwan is staging military exercises to show its ability to resist Chinese pressure to accept Beijing's political control over the self-governing island, following new rounds of threatening drills from China.
The exercises Wednesday off the southeastern county of Hualien follow days of Chinese missile firings and incursions into Taiwan's sea and airspace by ships and planes from the People's Liberation Army, the military wing of China's ruling Communist Party.
&ldquo;We strongly condemn Communist China's continuous military provocations around Taiwan's sea and air that undermine regional peace," Taiwan Defence Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang told reporters at Hualien Air Force Base.
&ldquo;Communist China's military operations just provide us with the opportunity for combat-readiness training," Sun said.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said China was using recent visits by US Congress members including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a pretext for escalating its attempts to intimidate Taiwan into accepting what it calls its terms for &ldquo;peaceful reunification".
&ldquo;China launched military provocations on these grounds. This is absurd and a barbaric act, which also undermines regional stability and interferes with shipping and commercial activities in the Indo-Pacific region," Ou said.
China sees the island as a breakaway province to be annexed by force if necessary, and considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognising its sovereignty.
Alongside its military threats, China imposed visa bans and other sanctions Tuesday on Taiwanese political figures. China exercises no effective legal authority over Taiwan and it's unclear what effect the sanctions would have.
China has refused all contact with Taiwan's government since shortly after the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. Tsai was overwhelmingly reelected in 2020.
The DPP also controls the legislature, while the vast majority of Taiwanese favor maintaining the status quo of de facto independence along with strong economic and social connections between the sides.
China accuses Washington of encouraging the island's independence through the sale of weapons and engagement between US politicians and the island's government. The US says it does not support independence and has no formal diplomatic ties with the island, but it is legally bound to ensure Taiwan can defend itself against threats from China, including a blockade.
Aside from putting its military on alert, Taiwan has largely played down the threat from the Chinese exercises and life has continued as normal among a population of 23 million that has lived under the shadow of bellicose rhetoric and saber rattling from China for more than seven decades.

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Downsized hajj begins amid Covid pandemic

Clad in white robes and wearing mask, Muslim pilgrims began the hajj on Wednesday. Only 10,000 pilgrims from within Saudi allowed this time amid Covid&nbsp;pandemic

Clad in white robes and wearing mask, Muslim pilgrims began the hajj on Wednesday. Devotees began circling the Islam's holiest site along socially distanced paths in the smallest pilgrimage in modern history amid the coronavirus outbreak. The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, is usually one of the world's largest religious gatherings. But only up to 10,000 people already residing in Saudi Arabia will participate in this year's ritual, compared with 2019's gathering of some 2.5 million from around the world.

A judge refused to grant bail Thursday to the man accused of trying to kill Salman Rushdie as the acclaimed author prepared to give a talk in western New York.
Hadi Matar, 24, appeared in a western New York courtroom after a grand jury indicted him on charges that he rushed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and stabbed Rushdie multiple times in front of a horrified crowd.
Dressed in a black and white jail uniform, Matar stayed quiet during the hearing while his lawyer unsuccessfully tried to persuade the judge that he should be released while he awaited trial. Public defender Nathaniel Barone said Matar had no criminal record and wouldn't flee the country if released.
Barone also asked the judge to do something to stop reporters from trying to contact Matar at the Chautauqua County jail. The lawyer said the jail had received “several hundred phone calls” from people trying to reach Matar.
Some of that media outreach resulted in Matar giving a brief interview to The New York Post, in which he talked about disliking Rushdie and praised Iran's late supreme leader, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Khomeini issued an edict in 1989 demanding Rushdie's death over his novel “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims consider blasphemous. A semiofficial Iranian foundation had posted a bounty of over $3 million.
Matar's lawyer complained that the media coverage could potentially lead to a biased jury.
“He's entitled to a fair trial. He's entitled to due process, no matter what he's accused of,” Barone said.
Judge David Foley declined that request, but he ordered the lawyers involved in the case not to give interviews.
“No speaking to the press until we have resolved this issue,” the judge said.
Rushdie, 75, is getting treatment in a Pennsylvania hospital for severe wounds. His literary agent, Andrew Wylie, has said Rushdie had a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm, and could lose an eye.
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt called the attack “preplanned.” The author had just taken the stage at the normally tranquil lakeside retreat for a discussion of protections for writers in exile and freedom of expression when Matar jumped onstage.
Henry Reese, 73, the cofounder of Pittsburgh's City of Asylum, was onstage with Rushdie and suffered a gash to his forehead, bruising and other minor injuries.
Matar, who lived in Fairview, New Jersey, with his mother, is charged with attempted murder and assault. He could get decades in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

Judge denies bail for Salman Rushdie's attacker, bars interviews

The man accused of trying to kill author Salman Rushdie has been denied bail by a court in New York. 

The court has also asked all lawyers involved in the case not to give interviews after the public defender said that the media coverage could lead to a biased jury.&nbsp;

A judge refused to grant bail Thursday to the man accused of trying to kill Salman Rushdie as the acclaimed author prepared to give a talk in western New York.
Hadi Matar, 24, appeared in a western New York courtroom after a grand jury indicted him on charges that he rushed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and stabbed Rushdie multiple times in front of a horrified crowd.
Dressed in a black and white jail uniform, Matar stayed quiet during the hearing while his lawyer unsuccessfully tried to persuade the judge that he should be released while he awaited trial. Public defender Nathaniel Barone said Matar had no criminal record and wouldn't flee the country if released.
Barone also asked the judge to do something to stop reporters from trying to contact Matar at the Chautauqua County jail. The lawyer said the jail had received &ldquo;several hundred phone calls&rdquo; from people trying to reach Matar.
Some of that media outreach resulted in Matar giving a brief interview to The New York Post, in which he talked about disliking Rushdie and praised Iran's late supreme leader, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Khomeini issued an edict in 1989 demanding Rushdie's death over his novel &ldquo;The Satanic Verses,&rdquo; which some Muslims consider blasphemous. A semiofficial Iranian foundation had posted a bounty of over $3 million.
Matar's lawyer complained that the media coverage could potentially lead to a biased jury.
&ldquo;He's entitled to a fair trial. He's entitled to due process, no matter what he's accused of,&rdquo; Barone said.
Judge David Foley declined that request, but he ordered the lawyers involved in the case not to give interviews.
&ldquo;No speaking to the press until we have resolved this issue,&rdquo; the judge said.
Rushdie, 75, is getting treatment in a Pennsylvania hospital for severe wounds. His literary agent, Andrew Wylie, has said Rushdie had a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm, and could lose an eye.
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt called the attack &ldquo;preplanned.&rdquo; The author had just taken the stage at the normally tranquil lakeside retreat for a discussion of protections for writers in exile and freedom of expression when Matar jumped onstage.
Henry Reese, 73, the cofounder of Pittsburgh's City of Asylum, was onstage with Rushdie and suffered a gash to his forehead, bruising and other minor injuries.
Matar, who lived in Fairview, New Jersey, with his mother, is charged with attempted murder and assault. He could get decades in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

British Stunt double, Gary Connery who portrayed Queen Elizabeth II during the 2012 Summer Olympics has been sentenced to 18 months in prison in a case of Domestic violence.The 53-year-old has been convicted for breaking his girlfriend's shoulder during the lockdown. While ruling the 18 months sentence, the Judge at the Oxford Crown Court, Nigel Daly further restricted him from contacting the victim's family as well. During the 2nd lockdown, Connery reportedly had an argument with his then partner, Tanya Brass. He smashed her head against a canister before pushing her down the stairs.The English stuntman dressed as the Queen had performed at the 2012 London Olympics, he jumped from the helicopter and parachuted his way into the Olympic Stadium. 

Queen's London Olympic stunt double imprisoned for 18 months

Gary Connery who parachuted his way to the 2012 Olympic stadium dressed as Queen Elizabeth II has been sentenced to 18 months of jail
Tap to know more

53-year-old Gary Connery has been convicted for breaking his girlfriend's shoulder during the lockdown.

British Stunt double, Gary Connery who portrayed Queen Elizabeth II during the 2012 Summer Olympics has been sentenced to 18 months in prison in a case of domestic violence. The 53-year-old has been convicted for breaking his girlfriend's shoulder during the lockdown. While ruling the 18 months sentence, the Judge at the Oxford Crown Court, Nigel Daly further restricted him from contacting the victim's family as well. During the 2nd lockdown, Connery reportedly had an argument with his then partner, Tanya Brass. He smashed her head against a canister before pushing her down the stairs. Earlier, during the 2012 London Olympics, the English stuntman dressed as the Queen and jumped from a helicopter and parachuted his way into the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony.&nbsp;

Train services in the UK were disrupted Thursday after train drivers joined thousands of other workers in their strike against low pay, price hike, jobs among other issues.  
Standing on a picket line at London Euston station, the Railway workers held placards as they protested the distressing situation.
 The action was the latest in a series of strikes by British workers seeking substantial raises to offset soaring prices for food and fuel.  Scores of railway cleaners, signalers, maintenance wokers staged a series of one-day striks in June and July. 
RMT official Mick Lynch said that it's a six day strike has become a talking point nationally.
 "Once we land into an agreement with the company our members can get back to work on a regular basis and run the railway for the people," Lynch asserted
The strike is expected to intensify next week with trains, bus and subway network workers' participation.

UK: Train services disrupted in London after railway workers' demonstration

The action was the latest in a series of strikes by British workers seeking substantial raises to offset soaring prices for food and fuel.  Scores of railway cleaners, signalers, maintenance wokers staged a series of one-day striks in June and July

The action was the latest in a series of strikes by British workers seeking substantial raises to offset soaring prices for food and fuel. &nbsp;Scores of railway cleaners, signalers, maintenance wokers staged a series of one-day striks in June and July

Train services in the UK were disrupted Thursday after train drivers joined thousands of other workers in their strike against low pay, price hike, jobs among other issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Standing on a picket line at London Euston station, the railway workers held placards as they protested the distressing situation.
The action was the latest in a series of strikes by British workers seeking substantial raises to offset soaring prices for food and fuel. Scores of railway cleaners, signalers, maintenance wokers staged a series of one-day strikes in June and July.&nbsp;
RMT official Mick Lynch said that it's a six day strike has become a talking point nationally.
"Once we land into an agreement with the company our members can get back to work on a regular basis and run the railway for the people," Lynch asserted
The strike is expected to intensify next week with trains, bus and subway network workers' participation.

In a move to uplift tax revenues from alcoholic beverages, the Japanese government has launched a nationwide competition calling for ideas to encourage people to drink more alcohol.&nbsp;
The Sake Viva! campaign, which is being run by the National Tax Agency (NTA), asks 20- to 39-year-oldsto come up with ideas for new "products and designs" to "stimulate demand among young people".
This includes boosting Japanese alcoholic beverages such as sake (rice wine), beer, whiskey, wine or beer.&nbsp;
According to reports, the group running the competition for the tax authority says new habits - partly formed during the Covid pandemic - and an ageing population have led to a decline in alcohol sales.
Taxes on alcohol products accounted for 5% of total revenue in 1980, but shrunk to just 1.7% in 2020, according to The Japan Times.

Japan encourages its youth to drink more and boost economy

Sake Viva! campaign, which is being run by the govt asks 20- to 39-year-olds to come up with proposals to help revitalise the popularity of alcoholic drinks

This country is encouraging its sober young people to drink more to boost economy 

Taxes on alcohol products accounted for 5% of total revenue in 1980, but shrunk to just 1.7% in 2020

In a move to uplift tax revenues from alcoholic beverages, the Japanese government has launched a nationwide competition calling for ideas to encourage people to drink more alcohol.&nbsp;
The Sake Viva! campaign, which is being run by the National Tax Agency (NTA), asks 20- to 39-year-oldsto come up with ideas for new "products and designs" to "stimulate demand among young people".
This includes boosting Japanese alcoholic beverages such as sake (rice wine), beer, whiskey, wine or beer.&nbsp;
According to reports, the group running the competition for the tax authority says new habits - partly formed during the Covid pandemic - and an ageing population have led to a decline in alcohol sales.
Taxes on alcohol products accounted for 5% of total revenue in 1980, but shrunk to just 1.7% in 2020, according to The Japan Times.

Child labour, caste-based discrimination and poverty are closely inter-linked in India, according to a UN report which highlighted contemporary forms of slavery, including severe discrimination against Dalit women in South Asia due to which they are systematically denied choices and freedoms in all spheres of life.
Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata in his report on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, said that deep-rooted intersecting forms of discrimination, in combination with multiple other factors, are the main causes of contemporary forms of slavery affecting minorities.
They are often the result of historical legacies, such as slavery and colonisation, systems of inherited status, and formalised and State-sponsored discrimination, he said.
Obokata said in the report to the UN General Assembly Wednesday that child labour (among children 5 to 17 years of age), including its worst forms, exists in all regions of the world.
In Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East, the Americas and Europe, between 4 and 6 per cent of children are said to be in child labour, and the percentage is much higher in Africa (21.6 per cent), with the highest rate in sub-Saharan Africa (23.9 per cent).
“In India, child labour, caste-based discrimination and poverty are closely interlinked. Child labour among minority and migrant children have also been reported in Angola, Costa Rica, Honduras and Kazakhstan, in various sectors,” the report said.
The report also notes that systematic discrimination has profound implications for the ability of affected individuals and communities to live a life of dignity and enjoy human rights on equal footing with others. Marginaliaed communities often remain overlooked in public policies and national budgetary allocations, and their access to justice and remedies in cases of human rights violations, including contemporary forms of slavery, is generally limited.
It said that the stigmatisation of some communities is perpetuated by negative stereotypes in the media, textbooks, or on the Internet, which contributes to their disempowerment.
People discriminated against on the basis of work and descent represent one example. They are bound by their inherited status and subjected to dehumanizing discourses that refer to “pollution” or “untouchability”, with no respect for human dignity and equality.
"Consequently, such people have limited freedom to renounce inherited occupations or degrading or hazardous work and are often subjected to debt bondage without sufficient access to justice,” the report said.
“Additional intersectional factors, such as class, gender and religion are also affected by caste realities. Dalit women in South Asia face severe discrimination, and as a result they are systematically denied choices and freedoms in all spheres of life,” it said, adding that consequently their access to services and resources is very limited, increasing their risk of being subjected to contemporary forms of slavery.
The report further notes that bonded labour continues to be prevalent among people discriminated against on the basis of work and descent, such as Dalits in South Asia.
Dalits in Bangladesh are forced to undertake certain types of labour as a consequence of their assigned caste status and are almost exclusively working in “unclean” jobs in urban areas, like street sweeping and burying the dead.
“Manual scavenging, predominantly carried out by Dalit women, is widely regarded as forced labour and a contemporary form of slavery, entailing harsh working conditions that have a negative impact on mental and physical health.” Obokata said in the report rates of child marriage spike among marginalized communities in particular, such as Roma girls in South-Eastern Europe.
Official data collected by the Forced Marriage Unit of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland suggests that a large majority of forced-marriage cases relate to Pakistan and, to a lower extent, to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Somalia.
Forced marriage of women and girls is a concern in Asia, including Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
It noted that various States have taken legislative and other measures to address inequality and discrimination experienced by minorities.
In the United States, federal contractors and subcontractors must take affirmative action to recruit and advance qualified minorities, and other initiatives including vocational training and outreach are simultaneously facilitated. Similar measures to enhance employability among minorities have been promoted in Albania, Australia, Belgium, India, Iraq, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Trade unions also make important contributions in advocating for the rights of minorities and migrant workers. It is “encouraging” that trade unions in Chile, Colombia, Ghana and India provide dedicated support and services for women workers.
It added that based on an independent assessment of available information, including submissions by stakeholders, independent academic research and testimonies of victims, the Special Rapporteur regards it as reasonable to conclude that forced labour among Uighur, Kazakh and other ethnic minorities in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing has been occurring in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China.

Caste discrimination, poverty closely inter-linked in India: UN report

Caste discrimination, poverty closely interlinked in India: UN report

The report on contemporary forms of slavery said that deep-rooted intersecting forms of discrimination are the main causes of contemporary forms of slavery affecting minorities.

Child labour, caste-based discrimination and poverty are closely inter-linked in India, according to a UN report which highlighted contemporary forms of slavery, including severe discrimination against Dalit women in South Asia due to which they are systematically denied choices and freedoms in all spheres of life.
Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata in his report on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, said that deep-rooted intersecting forms of discrimination, in combination with multiple other factors, are the main causes of contemporary forms of slavery affecting minorities.
They are often the result of historical legacies, such as slavery and colonisation, systems of inherited status, and formalised and State-sponsored discrimination, he said.
Obokata said in the report to the UN General Assembly Wednesday that child labour (among children 5 to 17 years of age), including its worst forms, exists in all regions of the world.
In Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East, the Americas and Europe, between 4 and 6 per cent of children are said to be in child labour, and the percentage is much higher in Africa (21.6 per cent), with the highest rate in sub-Saharan Africa (23.9 per cent).
&ldquo;In India, child labour, caste-based discrimination and poverty are closely interlinked. Child labour among minority and migrant children have also been reported in Angola, Costa Rica, Honduras and Kazakhstan, in various sectors,&rdquo; the report said.
The report also notes that systematic discrimination has profound implications for the ability of affected individuals and communities to live a life of dignity and enjoy human rights on equal footing with others. Marginaliaed communities often remain overlooked in public policies and national budgetary allocations, and their access to justice and remedies in cases of human rights violations, including contemporary forms of slavery, is generally limited.
It said that the stigmatisation of some communities is perpetuated by negative stereotypes in the media, textbooks, or on the Internet, which contributes to their disempowerment.
People discriminated against on the basis of work and descent represent one example. They are bound by their inherited status and subjected to dehumanizing discourses that refer to &ldquo;pollution&rdquo; or &ldquo;untouchability&rdquo;, with no respect for human dignity and equality.
"Consequently, such people have limited freedom to renounce inherited occupations or degrading or hazardous work and are often subjected to debt bondage without sufficient access to justice,&rdquo; the report said.
ALSO WATCH: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/in-depth/the-hook/fatwa-killings-before-salman-rushdie-other-victims-bizarre-anti-selfie-smiley-fatwas-1660738217281">Fatwa Attacks: before Salman Rushdie, other victims; bizarre anti-selfie, smiley fatwas</a>
&ldquo;Additional intersectional factors, such as class, gender and religion are also affected by caste realities. Dalit women in South Asia face severe discrimination, and as a result they are systematically denied choices and freedoms in all spheres of life,&rdquo; it said, adding that consequently their access to services and resources is very limited, increasing their risk of being subjected to contemporary forms of slavery.
The report further notes that bonded labour continues to be prevalent among people discriminated against on the basis of work and descent, such as Dalits in South Asia.
Dalits in Bangladesh are forced to undertake certain types of labour as a consequence of their assigned caste status and are almost exclusively working in &ldquo;unclean&rdquo; jobs in urban areas, like street sweeping and burying the dead.
&ldquo;Manual scavenging, predominantly carried out by Dalit women, is widely regarded as forced labour and a contemporary form of slavery, entailing harsh working conditions that have a negative impact on mental and physical health.&rdquo; Obokata said in the report rates of child marriage spike among marginalized communities in particular, such as Roma girls in South-Eastern Europe.
Official data collected by the Forced Marriage Unit of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland suggests that a large majority of forced-marriage cases relate to Pakistan and, to a lower extent, to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Somalia.
Forced marriage of women and girls is a concern in Asia, including Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
It noted that various States have taken legislative and other measures to address inequality and discrimination experienced by minorities.
In the United States, federal contractors and subcontractors must take affirmative action to recruit and advance qualified minorities, and other initiatives including vocational training and outreach are simultaneously facilitated. Similar measures to enhance employability among minorities have been promoted in Albania, Australia, Belgium, India, Iraq, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Trade unions also make important contributions in advocating for the rights of minorities and migrant workers. It is &ldquo;encouraging&rdquo; that trade unions in Chile, Colombia, Ghana and India provide dedicated support and services for women workers.
It added that based on an independent assessment of available information, including submissions by stakeholders, independent academic research and testimonies of victims, the Special Rapporteur regards it as reasonable to conclude that forced labour among Uighur, Kazakh and other ethnic minorities in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing has been occurring in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China.

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