International news brief: China made the strikes using my visit as an excuse, says Nancy Pelosi; Japan worried

Tokyo, Aug 05: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a "grave problem" that threatens regional peace and security after five ballistic missiles launched as part of the drills landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. Kishida, speaking after breakfast with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her congressional delegation, said the missile launches need to be "stopped immediately".

China, which claims Taiwan and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary, called Pelosi's visit earlier this week to the self-ruled island a provocation and on Thursday began military exercises, including missile strike training, in six zones surrounding Taiwan, in what could be its biggest since the mid-1990s.

China using my Taiwan visit as 'an excuse' for military drills: Nancy Pelosi

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday said China made the missile strikes using her Taiwan visit as "an excuse" and she reiterated that the US supports peace and the status quo in Taiwan.

"Our representation here isn't about changing status quo here in Asia, of Taiwan. It's about Taiwan Relations Act, US-China policy, all pieces of legislation and agreements that established our relationship-have peace in Taiwan Straits and have status quo prevail," Pelosi told reporters in Japan.

"The Chinese made their strikes, probably using our visit as an excuse. They've tried to isolate Taiwan, keeping them most recently from World Health Organisation by not even letting their participation beyond their agency of World Health Agency that makes these determinations," she added.

US: 4 critically injured in lightning strike near White House

Four people have been critically injured after a lightning strike outside the White House, fire officials said. The four victims - two men and two women - were injured in Lafayette Park, located directly outside the White House complex, on Thursday, according to the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. Officers with the Secret Service and US Park Police witnessed the lightning strike and ran over to render first aid, officials said.

US: Polio fears rise in New York amid possible community spread

New York state health officials have issued a more urgent call for unvaccinated children and adults to get inoculated against polio, citing new evidence of possible "community spread" of the dangerous virus. The polio virus has now been found in seven different wastewater samples in two adjacent counties north of New York City, health officials said on Thursday. So far, only one person has tested positive for polio - an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County who suffered paralysis.

Monkeypox: US declares public health emergency

The US has declared the ongoing monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency, US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced Thursday.
"We're prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus," Becerra said in a call with reporters.

The move allows more federal funding and measures to be used in fighting the disease.

Imran Khan rejects Pak poll body's verdict in prohibited funding case

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday rejected the election commission's verdict in the prohibited funding case against his party, accusing the poll body's chief of conspiring "in cahoots" with the "imported govt" to try a "technical knockout" of the party. His remarks came days after the former premier's party received a show cause notice for receiving prohibited foreign funds. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) have been at loggerheads.

with agency inputs