# Taiwan-China

• US house Speaker and veteran democratic politician Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday evening, marking the most highest level political visit from the US to Taiwan in 25 years.
• China condemned the visit as a “major political provocation” and said it would launch “targeted military operations” as counter measures.
• Ms. Pelosi on arrival, said her delegations visit to Taiwan honours America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.
• Chinese analysts expected a series of measures to be announced in coming days from military drills to economic actions.

# Al-Qaeda terrorist

• President Joe Biden announced on Monday that the US had killed al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists and suspected mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• The US official said that Zawahiri’s presence in the Afghan capital was a clear violation of a deal that the Taliban had signed with the US in Doha in 2020 that paved the way for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• It was the first known over-the-horizon attack by the US on al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan since withdrawal of American troops from the Afghanistan on August 31, 2021.
• Zawahiri was an Egyptian surgeon who grew up in a comfortable Cairo household before turning to violent radicalism.

# Russia

• Russia’s supreme Court on Tuesday designated the Azov regiment – a former volunteer battalion that was incorporated into Ukrainian army – a terrorist organization.
• The court ruled to recognize the Ukrainian parliamentary unit azov a terrorist organization and to ban its activities on the soil of Russian Federation.
• Ukraine’s Azov regiment had drawn controversy for its links with the far right organizations, it is called by Russia as a neo-nazi group.

# Trade deficit

• India’s merchandise trade deficit widened sharply to a record $31.02 billion in July.
• Goods exports declined 0.8% year on year to $35.04 billion.