Today, Monday, the Ukrainian army announced the recapture of more than 20 towns within 24 hours, from the Russian army.

It said in a statement that the army was able to "to expel the enemy from more than 20 towns," according to AFP.

The army confirmed in the first official assessment of their gains, it said that the army has recaptured about 500 square kilometers in the Kherson region in the south of the country, including the towns of Visokopelia, Belogirka, Sukhi, Stavok and Mirolubivka.

The army commander announced yesterday that his forces had recaptured more than 3,000 square kilometers from the Russian forces, since the start of the counterattack at the beginning of the month in eastern Ukraine.

While the Russians withdrew from many towns in the Donbas region, leaving behind equipment and ammunition, abandoned boxes of ammunition and military equipment were seen scattered in the areas they left, according to photos published by the Ukrainian army.

On the other hand, there was no official Russian reaction to the gains made by the Ukrainian forces, but a map of Kharkiv presented by the Russian Defense Ministry during its daily briefing yesterday, Sunday, showed a significant withdrawal of its army from this area.

It showed that the Russian army controls only a small part of the territory east of Kharkiv beyond the Oskol River, after it controlled much larger areas in that region on Saturday.

It is noteworthy that the control of several urban centers such as Kobyansk and Izyum in the vicinity of Kharkiv may constitute a major blow to Russia's ability to deliver supplies to its forces on the front line in eastern Ukraine, which will greatly reduce its control, after important progress achieved last spring.

The announcement comes a day after the 96-year-old monarch canceled a meeting of her Privy Council and was told to rest.

The palace says the queen is “comfortable” and remains at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she has spent the summer.

The maneuvers are intended to demonstrate that Moscow has sufficient military might for massive drills, even as its troops are engaged in the special operation in Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercise will be held until 7 September at seven firing ranges in Russia's Far East and the Sea of Japan.

They will involve more than 50,000 troops and over 5,000 weapons units, including 140 aircraft and 60 warships.

Commenting on the escalating fears of a nuclear disaster or conflict, the ministry made it clear on Thursday that nuclear weapons can only be used in an emergency, Reuters reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ivan Nechayev said that nuclear weapons would only be used to respond to a similar attack or to counter any threat to the country's existence.

Last Tuesday, the Russian Defense Minister confirmed that his country does not intend to use nuclear weapons during its military campaign on Ukrainian soil, describing media speculation about the possible deployment of nuclear or chemical weapons as "utter lies."

As for the possibility of a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Washington, Nechayev indicated that work is underway to implement a prisoner exchange deal between the two parties, pointing out that it is engaged in "quiet diplomacy" with the United States over that potential deal, which may include basketball star, Britney. 

Grenier was sentenced on August 4 in Russia to nine years in prison on drug charges, a sentence that US President Joe Biden called "unacceptable." Her attorneys have filed an appeal over her conviction and nine-year Russian prison sentence for drug possession.

The US administration has also repeatedly asserted that Greiner was unjustly detained but at the same time offered to replace her with Victor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States.

It is noteworthy that since the start of the Russian military operation on the territory of the western neighbor, Washington has lined up firmly with Kyiv, supporting it with weapons, equipment, and humanitarian aid.

Thousands of sanctions were imposed on Russia, affecting all sectors, the wealthy and politicians, including senior ministers.

The Chinese Army's Eastern Combat District Command continues its exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday, although it was supposed to end on Sunday, the main focus is now on carrying out "joint siege" and "joint defense" operations, according to a statement.

"The Eastern Combat Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) continued to organize joint military exercises in the sea and airspace around Taiwan Island on August 9, focusing on organizing joint blockade and joint defense operations," Beijing said in a statement.

On the other hand, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu confirmed Tuesday that Beijing is using air and sea maneuvers around the island to prepare for its invasion and change the status quo in the Indo-Atlantic region.

"China used maneuvers and military plans to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan," Wu said at a press conference in Taipei, adding that "China's real intention is to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the entire region."

"It is conducting large-scale military exercises and missile launches, as well as cyberattacks, a disinformation campaign, and economic pressure to demoralize Taiwan," he added.

The Chinese army had organized large-scale exercises using missiles, aircraft, and warships in response to the visit of the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island.

The exercises began on August 4 in 6 areas in the waters around the island and were supposed to end at noon on August 7, but they continued.

Beijing did not say when the exercises around the island would end, while the Chinese government's Global Times quoted analysts on Monday that the Chinese military drills near Taiwan will become routine and will not stop until the island and mainland China are reunited.

Enrique Mora, the Spanish European mediator in the nuclear negotiations between Iran and Washington, announced in a tweet on Twitter today, Wednesday, that he is on his way to Vienna to discuss returning to the nuclear agreement.

“The goal of returning to Vienna is to discuss the text submitted by Josep Borrell, EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and mediator of the talks, on July 20,” Al-Hadath reported.

Borrell did not reveal the details of the text he submitted on July 20, which was announced a few days ago, when a summit between Washington and Tehran collapsed in Doha.

“Only the Iranian and American parties will participate in the talks in Vienna, and that the three European countries (France, Britain and Germany), in addition to Russia and China, will not participate in the talks,” Al-Hadath reported citing senior European officials.

For his part, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman announced today that the head of the Iranian negotiating delegation, Ali Bagheri Kani, will travel to Vienna in the coming hours to participate in the indirect negotiations mediated by Mora.

A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity today, told Reuters that Rob Malley, the US special envoy on Iran's affairs, will go to Vienna for talks this week.

Axios quoted today a US official as announcing his country's return to negotiations to revive the nuclear agreement with Iran in Vienna, amid expectations he described as "low."

Russia continues to starve the EU from its energy and building closer ties with Tehran, the EU and the US have ever more incentives to struck a deal with the Islamic Republic.

On Wednesday, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said China could not prevent world leaders from visiting Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries said Wednesday that there is "no justification" for China to use Nancy Pelosi's visit as an "excuse" to conduct military exercises.

"It is normal for our country's representatives to make international visits. China's escalatory response would increase tension and destabilize the region," the ministers of the United States, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom added a statement.
On Wednesday, Pelosi left Taiwan after a two-day visit that raised tensions with China.

Before that, Pelosi met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei, where the latter stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries and thanked Pelosi for her presence to provide US support to her country. "Pelosi has been a huge inspiration to our country," she added.

Taiwanese president also imitated the American guest with a scarf to express her country's thanks and stressed that any aggression against her government "will have an impact on the Pacific and Indo-Pacific region," stressing, "We will do what is necessary to strengthen our defenses, and are committed to security and stability in the region."

For her part, Pelosi, who visited Taiwan as part of her Asian tour, said that Democrats and Republicans are united in support of Taiwan, stressing, "Our relations with Taiwan are strong, and we will work to strengthen them in various fields."

The American government is required by law to defend Taiwan when it is threatened.

She also stressed, "We will not abandon our support and friendship for Taiwan," noting that "the story of Taiwan is a source of inspiration for democracies... and American solidarity with Taiwan is essential and important." "Washington pledged to stand by Taiwan 43 years ago, and I am here to confirm that," she added.

Pelosi added, "Our goal is for Taiwan to always enjoy freedom and security, and we will not back down from that. We want the situation in Taiwan to remain as it is now, and we do not want change by force."
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives announced that her delegation came to Taiwan out of "peace for the region" after her visit unleashed Beijing's anger and sparked a diplomatic storm.

"We come out of friendship to Taiwan, and peace to the region," Pelosi said during a meeting with Tsai Chi-chang, deputy speaker of Taiwan's parliament.

"Taiwan is one of the freest countries in the world," Pelosi said.
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives stressed that there is a good opportunity for cooperation between the two countries in the field of the chip industry.

Pelosi visited the seat of the Taiwanese parliament earlier Wednesday and stressed the desire to strengthen parliamentary relations between the two countries.

On Tuesday, China summoned the US ambassador to it to protest against Pelosi's "heinous" visit to Taiwan.

Speaking with Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng expressed his country's "strong protests" against Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island that China considers part of its territory.
"This move is very heinous in nature, and the consequences are grave," Xie quoted the official Xinhua News Agency. "China will not stand idly by."

"Taiwan is Chinese Taiwan, and eventually Taiwan will return to the bosom of the motherland," Xie told Burns, according to the Chinese agency.

The Pelosi visit, the highest-ranking US official, elected to arrive in Taiwan in 25 years, escalated tension between the world's two largest economies, as Beijing considered it a major provocation.

Shih warned that the United States would "pay the price for its mistakes," and urged Washington to "immediately address its wrong actions and take practical measures to undo the negative effects of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan," according to Xinhua.

Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday evening, defying stern warnings and threats from China.

While it is understood that the White House opposes Taiwan, including Pelosi's Asian tour, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Monday that Pelosi "has the right to visit Taiwan."

The Chinese army announced that it is on "high alert" and "will launch a series of targeted military operations" in response to the visit, announcing plans for a series of military exercises in the waters around the island starting Wednesday.

More than 20 Chinese military aircraft entered the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, officials in Taipei said, in a dangerous escalation during Pelosi's visit.

On Wednesday, North Korea criticized what it described as the "brazen interference" of the United States in China's internal affairs over the visit of the US House Speaker to Taiwan.

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said Pyongyang would "fully support" Beijing's position, blaming Washington for raising regional tensions.

"The blatant interference of the United States in the internal affairs of other countries and its deliberate political and military provocations are the main reason for disturbing peace and security in the region," the spokesman said in a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

The Pelosi visit comes at a delicate time. As Russian forces advance incrementally on Ukrainian territory, the Chinese have been provoked to move on to Taiwan. 

The US has many reasons to believe that China had prepared to reunite Taiwan with China using forces. The West is busy repelling Russia from Ukraine and looking for an alternative energy route to its energy as Russia continues to punish the continent for its sanctions on Moscow.  

On August 2, the United States media reported that Al-Qaeda leader Abu Ayman al-Zawahiri had been killed in a CIA drone strike in Afghanistan.

"There were drones flying over Kabul for the past few days, and there were explosions heard but people did not know what it was until the killing of Al-Zawahiri was made public," a Journalist in Afghanistan told KurdSat English. 

Earlier, Pajhwok Afghan News reported an airstrike in Kabul's Sherpur neighborhood and cited the interior ministry that there were no casualties. 

The Al-Qaeda chief was killed in Kabul's Sherpur locality, a diplomatic enclave where most of the Taliban leaders live. 

This raises questions regarding the Taliban's commitment to the Doha Agreement, in which it promises not to allow its territory to be used to threaten other nations. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said al-Zawahiri's presence in Kabul "grossly violated the Doha Agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries."

"It's near a grocery store, near a bank, and a main street. It is an area where previous warlords, governors and ministers have lived under the previous government. It is not anywhere hidden," Blinken added. 

An Egyptian surgeon with a $25m bounty on his head, al-Zawahiri, helped coordinate the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US that killed nearly 3,000 people.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said al-Zawahiri's presence in Kabul "grossly violated the Doha Agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries."

The Taliban confirmed the attack in Kabul without naming al-Zawahiri, and condemned it as a "violation of international principles." 

Al-Zawahiri was killed on Sunday in the biggest blow to the group since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011.

Today, August 2, US house of representative Nancy Pelosi arrived in the Island nation of Taiwan amid tightened tensions between the US and China.

Chinese local media reported that the Chinese military buildup near the Taiwan border has continued since the confirmation of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island. Pelosi left Malaysia, the second leg of her Asian tour, amid rising tension over her visit to Taiwan.

The visit risks triggering a global crisis between the world's most powerful economic and military powers. The US does not officially recognize Taiwan but is legally required to prove the island with means to protest its sovereignty.

China's People's Liberation Army has planned to carry out an exercise on the surroundings of Taiwan.

A site tracking aircraft around the world indicated that nearly 300,000 of its users are following the US Air Force plane, which they believe has the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, on board, Bloomberg reported.

After Pelosi's plane touched down, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, "Pelosi's visit to Taiwan had a significant impact on the political basis of Sino-US relations."

Taiwan commented on Pelosi's visit by saying, "We warmly welcome foreign guests, and we will make appropriate arrangements."

Before that, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense confirmed the military movements near Taiwan by saying, "We will deploy appropriate military forces in response to the threats. We have the resolve and ability to ensure our national security."

On Tuesday, according to reports, Chinese warships and aircraft repeatedly edged into the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

The United Daily News, Liberty Times, and China Times - the major national newspapers in Taiwan - quoted unidentified sources saying that Pelosi will go to Taipei and spend Wednesday night after that visiting Malaysia.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry commented on Pelosi's visit to Taiwan by saying, "We hope that America will understand the sensitivity of the situation, we will respond strongly if Pelosi visits Taiwan."

Military Watch had reported that China deployed the Aircraft Carrier Killer missile, the first gliding hypersonic vehicle after the US Navy moved its aircraft carrier groups to places close to Chinese territory for fear of a reaction Beijing on Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken considered that Pelosi was the one who decided to visit Taiwan or not and that China should not escalate the situation after that visit.
 
Politico quoted Western diplomatic sources as saying that European countries are preparing for the repercussions of the dangerous escalation between Washington and Beijing over Pelosi's visit.

An informed source told the magazine that the deteriorating war of words between the United States and China regarding Taiwan worries European countries due to the risks of a possible military escalation.

The sources stressed that the European Union considers any military confrontation between China and Washington an out-of-control conflict.

Vice President of the Munich Security Conference Boris Rogge warned European countries not to prepare for a US-Chinese confrontation scenario by supporting Taiwan and maintaining close contact with Beijing to calm tension.

The ministry confirmed raising the state of maximum alert in preparation for Tuesday's possible visit.

For its part, the US National Security Council announced that Washington would not succumb to the Chinese threat over Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, stressing the Biden administration's support for a possible visit.

US and Taiwanese sources close to the military reported that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would stop in Taiwan Tuesday for one night.

The US sources said that an aircraft carrier, three submarines, and 36 US warships would participate in maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean.
Simultaneously, China also announced live-fire exercises to coincide with Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned of the consequences of Pelosi's visit to Taipei if it decided to add Taiwan to its destinations in its Asian tour.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said, "In the event that the Speaker of the US House of Representatives visits Taiwan, the Chinese army will not remain idly by."

The latest warning was issued during a regular briefing by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, where ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that because of Pelosi's "number three in the US administration," the visit to Taiwan "will have a serious political impact," according to "Reuters."

Nancy Pelosi arrived in Singapore early Monday morning at the start of her Asian tour.

A spokesman for the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Pelosi would meet President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, meet several government ministers and is expected to attend a party with the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

In a statement issued over the weekend, Pelosi said she would visit Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan to discuss trade, the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, security, and democratic governance. News reports did not confirm that she might visit Taiwan.

For his part, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against interfering in Beijing's dealings with Taiwan during a phone call last week with his US counterpart, Joe Biden.

If she visits, Pelosi would be the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan since former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997.

The Biden administration has tried to reassure Beijing that there is no reason to "attack" and that if such a visit occurred, it would not signal any change in US policy.

On Sunday, Zelensky sacked Ukraine’s SBU chief Ivan Bakanov, and Ukrainian prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, citing their failure to root out people in their agencies that worked with Russian special services.

In the televised address Zelensky said, "connections detected between employees of Ukrainian security forces, and special services of Russia pose very serious questions to the relevant leadership."

Since the Russian troops marched into Ukraine in late February 2022, a significant number of spies have been arrested among the ranks of Ukrainian security forces.

Andriy Smirnov, one of Zelensky's top advisers, clarified that the officials have not been fired, as initially suggested, but merely removed pending an investigation. The officials themselves were not charged with spying or treason but merely removed for failing to detect spies in their agencies.

"As of today, 651 criminal proceedings have been registered regarding treason of the prosecutor’s office, pretrial investigation bodies and other law enforcement agencies," Zelensky explained in his address.

Zelensky said that over 60 employees of the prosecutor’s office remain in Ukrainian occupied territory working against Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has dragged on for over five months and Russia is incrementally occupying more territory.

The French president stressed that "Russia uses energy as well as food as a weapon of war... We must prepare today for a scenario in which we have to completely dispense with Russian gas."

During a television interview, marking the occasion of France's Bastille Day that France was already diversifying the sources of its energy supplies, and building stocks ahead of next winter, the French president slammed Russia for manipulation of its energy export to Europe. 

Europe has seen increased prices and inflation since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 2022. For the first time in history, euro hit dollar parity. The continent is faced with shortages of food and energy and Europeans are warned of coming of a harsh winter.

France is an active and leading member of the European Union who initially tried to balance its relations with Russia and Ukraine, yet the country is experiencing the affects of war as does almost every other European country.

In a statement on Tuesday on the ministry's website, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that Washington and its allies had exacerbated the Ukrainian crisis.

She added that the West had unleashed a fierce hybrid confrontation with Russia, and today they are teetering dangerously on the edge of an open military confrontation with it as well.

It also continued that such confrontation necessarily means a direct armed conflict for the nuclear powers, expressing concern that such a potential clash would be fraught with nuclear escalation.

The Russian official's words coincided with the announcement by the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, a few days ago, about the possibility of a nuclear war.

While the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, considered that Russia is not manipulating the issue of nuclear war.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin had requested months ago, with the start of the Russian operation in Ukraine, that the nuclear deterrent forces be put on alert.

The move sparked international outrage, as the West considered it a clear threat to the possibility of launching a nuclear war.

The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly announced that its nuclear missile forces and fleet in the North and Pacific Ocean have been put on an enhanced combat mission.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that he will remain in office despite the resignations in his government.

He told the weekly questioning session in the British House of Commons that he rejects the abuse of power, and that the government must play its role during crises.

Johnson told lawmakers that the economy was going through a difficult period and that the Russian attack on Ukraine represented Europe's worst war in 80 years.

"This is exactly the moment when you expect the government to continue its work, not to withdraw, and to carry out the tasks entrusted to it," Johnson told the lawmakers.

Earlier, two new members of the British government announced their resignations, Wednesday, the day after a similar decision taken by the Ministers of Health and Finance, which increases pressure on Prime Minister Johnson, who is involved in a series of scandals.

The Secretary of State for Children and Families, Will Quince, announced his resignation, saying he had no other "option" after he "in good faith" transmitted information to the media obtained from the Prime Minister's Office, which "turned out to be incorrect."

Laura Trott, in turn, resigned from her position as Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation, because she had lost confidence in the government, she said. Victoria Atkins, Britain's Secretary of State for Prisons at the Ministry of Justice, has also resigned.

Johnson's motorcade arrived in the British House of Commons, on Wednesday, for a heated confrontation with MPs, after the resignation of two key ministers in his government.

The Minister of Health and Finance, Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak, announced their resignations by a few minutes on Tuesday evening, after they were tired of a series of scandals that rocked the government a month ago.

The two ministers sat alongside other conservative deputies in the weekly accountability session, to which the prime minister is subject.

The shocking resignations came after the prime minister offered new apologies for an additional scandal, admitting he had made a "mistake" by appointing Chris Pincher to his government last February as assistant in charge of parliamentary discipline for Conservative MPs.

He resigned last week after he was accused of molesting two men.

On Tuesday, the prime minister admitted that the prime minister was informed in 2019 of previous accusations against Pincher, but he "forgot" them when he appointed him. She had previously confirmed the opposite.

The resignation of Rishi Sunak, 42, came in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis in the United Kingdom. In his resignation letter to Johnson, Sunak wrote: "Public opinion rightly expects the government to be led properly, competently and earnestly...I realize this may be my last cabinet position, but I believe these standards are worth striving for and that is why I am resigning."

Javid, 52, who took over the finance ministry before Sunak, said the British had a right to expect "integrity from our government."

He went on to say that the vote of confidence in Johnson in June should have been an opportunity to show "humility" and show "a new direction."

Javid continued, "I regret to say that it is clear to me that the situation will not change under your leadership and therefore I have lost faith in you," referring to Johnson.

Johnson quickly replaced the two resigning ministers, appointing Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi to the Finance Ministry and Steve Barclay to the Health Department, who until now had been responsible for coordinating government affairs. But will Johnson succeed in continuing after this latest crisis, while he has so far refused to consider resigning?

Johnson is mainly suffering from the repercussions of the scandal of parties held at the government headquarters during the total lockdown in the pandemic, and he escaped weeks before a vote of no confidence decided by his Conservative Party deputies.

There are other issues of a sexual nature in Parliament. A deputy suspected of rape was arrested and released on bail in mid-June, and another resigned in April, because he watched a pornographic movie in Parliament on his mobile phone, and a former deputy was sentenced in May to 18 months in prison, after being convicted of sexual assault on a fifteen-year-old.

The exit of the last two deputies led to the organization of legislative by-elections, as a result of which the conservatives suffered a resounding defeat. This came as the party scored very poor results in local elections in May.

After an unprecedented strike of railway workers at the end of June, unions called for protest movements during the summer, while several professions of lawyers, health care workers and teachers announced or did so.

According to the results of an opinion poll conducted by YouGov, published on Tuesday evening, 69% of British voters believe that Johnson should resign. And 54% of Conservative voters say the prime minister should leave office.

YouGov is cofounded by Nadhim Zahawi who Johnson chose as the new UK Chancellor. Zahawi, a Kurd from Iraq is expected to replace Johnson even though he is loyal to the incumbent PM.

On Tuesday, Britain said it would impose new economic and trade sanctions on Belarus, including the country's transport sector, over its support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The new package will include a ban on importing and exporting goods worth around £60m, including exports of petroleum products, high-tech components, luxury goods, and imports of Belarusian iron and steel.

Britain will also ban more Belarusian companies from issuing debt and securities in London.

Belarussian pro-Kremlin foreign policy has brought many western sanctions on Minsk. In 2021, Belarus allowed many refugees to use its territory as a transit to the European Union. European Union countries such as Poland fenced their borders to prevent anyone from entering their country, and it moved them to introduce sanctions against Minsk.