Amnesty International: Ukraine Armed Forces Hiding Weapons Systems in Heavily Populated Areas, Including in Schools and Hospitals

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By Amnesty International. Ukrainian forces have put civilians in harm’s way by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas, including in schools and hospitals, as they repelled the Russian invasion that began in February, Amnesty International said today.

Such tactics violate international humanitarian law and endanger civilians, as they turn civilian objects into military targets. The ensuing Russian strikes in populated areas have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure.

“We have documented a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians at risk and violating the laws of war when they operate in populated areas,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. . .

Between April and July, Amnesty International researchers spent several weeks investigating Russian strikes in the Kharkiv, Donbas and Mykolaiv regions. The organization inspected strike sites; interviewed survivors, witnesses and relatives of victims of attacks; and carried out remote-sensing and weapons analysis. Throughout these investigations, researchers found evidence of Ukrainian forces launching strikes from within populated residential areas as well as basing themselves in civilian buildings in 19 towns and villages in the regions. The organization’s Crisis Evidence Lab has analyzed satellite imagery to further corroborate some of these incidents.

Most residential areas where soldiers located themselves were kilometres away from front lines. Viable alternatives were available that would not endanger civilians – such as military bases or densely wooded areas nearby, or other structures further away from residential areas. In the cases it documented, Amnesty International is not aware that the Ukrainian military who located themselves in civilian structures in residential areas asked or assisted civilians to evacuate nearby buildings – a failure to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians. (Read more from “Amnesty International: Ukraine Armed Forces Hiding Weapons Systems in Heavily Populated Areas, Including in Schools and Hospitals” HERE)

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Zelensky Seeks Direct Talks With Xi Amid War With Russia

By Bloomberg. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to hold direct talks, noting Beijing hasn’t replied to such requests since Russia invaded his country some five months ago.

The last time the pair spoke was one year ago, Zelenskiy told the South China Morning Post in an interview published Thursday. Since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, he said the Ukrainian side had “asked officially for a conversation” with Xi but hadn’t received a response. Such a dialog, he added, “would be helpful.”

The leader of the world’s second largest economy has refused to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine and declared a “no limits” friendship with Putin weeks before the invasion, making any call with Zelenskiy potentially awkward. Xi and Putin spoke within days of the war’s beginning, and the Russian leader called Xi on the latter’s birthday in June.

Dialog between Ukraine and China has been limited to lower level diplomatic exchanges, such as those between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Ukrainian counterpart. (Read more from “Zelensky Seeks Direct Talks With Xi Amid War With Russia” HERE)

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Pelosi’s Taiwan Visit Shows Politicians Can No Longer Ignore Americans’ Concerns About China

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By Breitbart. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) visit to Taiwan, completed in defiance of belligerent threats from the hideous regime in Beijing, drew genuine bipartisan support from U.S. lawmakers and voters alike.

Even in a time of deep political divisions, with a potentially earthshaking midterm election coming up, Americans are united in their concerns about the new Evil Empire and its malignant influence upon the freedom, health, and security of the Western world.

A considerable number of sitting Republican legislators and former Trump administration officials expressed public support for Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The GOP caucus was far more vocally supportive of Pelosi than the perpetually befuddled Biden administration, even though President Joe Biden ostensibly campaigned on standing up to Communist China.

“What is the Pentagon thinking when it publicly warns against Speaker Pelosi going to Taiwan? If we are so intimidated by the Chinese Communists we can’t even protect an American Speaker of the House, why should Beijing believe we can help Taiwan survive? Timidity is dangerous,” Pelosi’s predecessor Newt Gingrich, the last Speaker of the House to visit Taiwan, said in a characteristic Republican comment. (Read more from “Pelosi’s Taiwan Visit Shows Politicians Can No Longer Ignore Americans’ Concerns About China” HERE)

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US-China Ties on a Precipice After Pelosi Visit to Taiwan

By Associated Press. U.S.-China relations are teetering on a precipice after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Pelosi received a rapturous welcome in Taipei and was applauded with strong bipartisan support in Washington, despite the Biden administration’s misgivings. But her trip has enraged Beijing and Chinese nationalists and will complicate already strained ties even after her departure.

Already, China is preparing new shows of force in the Taiwan Strait to make clear that its claims are non-negotiable on the island it regards as a renegade province. And, as the U.S. presses ahead with demonstrations of support for Taiwan, arms sales and diplomatic lobbying, the escalating tensions have raised the risks of military confrontation, intentional or not. (Read more from “US-China Ties on a Precipice After Pelosi Visit to Taiwan” HERE)

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Chinese Live-Fire Drills Begin Around Taiwan After Pelosi’s Visit

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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is no longer in Taiwan, but on Thursday China made good on its promise that the island will pay a price for hosting the highest-ranking US official to visit in 25 years.

The Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command said it conducted long-range, live-fire training in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Earlier in the day, Chinese state media said that exercises to simulate an air and sea “blockade” around Taiwan had started Wednesday, but offered little solid evidence to back up the claim.

The military posturing was a deliberate show of force after Pelosi left the island on Wednesday evening, bound for South Korea. (Read more from “Chinese Live-Fire Drills Begin Around Taiwan After Pelosi’s Visit” HERE)

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Senate Approves NATO Membership for Sweden and Finland

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The Senate voted to ratify requests from Finland and Sweden to join NATO in an effort to combat Russian aggression following the invasion of Ukraine.

The measure, needing 67 votes in the 100-member Senate, passed 95-1, with one voting present. The proposal drew broad bipartisan support and the backing of both party leaders.

“Our NATO alliance is the bedrock that has guaranteed democracy in the Western world since the end of World War II,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “This strengthens NATO even further and is particularly needed in light of recent Russian aggression.”

Some Republicans who voted no argued that the United States would be called on to defend the two new vulnerable NATO members at a time when it should scale back its presence in Europe to prepare for escalating tension with China. (Read more from “Senate Approves NATO Membership for Sweden and Finland” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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Biden Appoints Problematic Islamist With Muslim Brotherhood Ties To Religious Freedom Commission

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Serving as an imam of a mosque that was credibly accused of serving as a conduit for terror financing and as the leader of a national organization with roots in the Muslim Brotherhood should disqualify someone from serving on a commission charged with monitoring abuses of religious freedom. And downplaying the horrors of a well-documented genocide fueled by religious animosity should also be a deal breaker. But under the Biden administration, these types of Islamist affiliations are résumé builders and genocide denial is no big thing.

This was demonstrated last month when the White House appointed Mohamed Hag Magid, a prominent imam from Virginia, to serve on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) last month. Established by Congress in 1998, USCIRF is charged with monitoring violations of the right to religious freedom throughout the world and makes recommendations on how to respond to these violations to the president, the U.S. State Department, and to Congress. According to its website, the nine-member commission is “appointed by either the President or Congressional leaders of each political party, supported by a non-partisan professional staff.”

In its announcement of Magid’s appointment, the White House highlighted his status as Executive Imam of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center in Sterling, Virginia. In the early 2000s, the ADAMS center was named in a federal investigation as part of the SAAR network, an alleged terror finance organization funded by Saudi donors.

To further buttress Magid’s appointment, the White House invoked his tenure as president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) which was founded by members of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1981. During his time as president, Magid gave an award to Dawud Walid, the executive director of CAIR-Michigan. Prior to receiving the ISNA reward, Walid declared, “Who are those who incurred the wrath of Allah? They are the Jews.” ISNA, by the way, was founded by members of the Muslim Brotherhood. (Read more from “Biden Appoints Problematic Islamist With Muslim Brotherhood Ties to Religious Freedom Commission” HERE)

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US Sanctions Putin’s Reputed Girlfriend

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The US Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reputed girlfriend as part of a series of measures targeting Russian elites in the Biden administration’s latest attempt to punish the Kremlin for its ongoing war in Ukraine.

Alina Maratovna Kabaeva, who has been romantically linked to the Russian leader, was sanctioned “for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation,” a Treasury Department statement said.

That statement describes the 39-year-old Kabaeva as having “a close relationship to Putin.” She is a former member of the State Duma “and is the current head of the National Media Group, a pro-Kremlin empire of television, radio, and print organizations.”

In April, the Wall Street Journal reported that sanctioning Kabaeva was under consideration by the US, but there was concern that such a move would inflame tensions given her close proximity to Putin. (Read more from “US Sanctions Putin’s Reputed Girlfriend” HERE)

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Taiwan Calls Troops Back From Leave To ‘Immediately Prepare For War’ As Pelosi Set To Visit Island: Reports

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Taiwan has reportedly started to call back soldiers on leave and ordered them to prepare for war as communist China has repeatedly issued threats ahead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) anticipated visit to the island this week.

“We would like to tell the United States once again that China is standing by, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army will never sit idly by, and China will take resolute responses and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Chinese propagandist Zhao Lijian said at a press briefing this week, reported CBS News.

“As for what measures, if she dares to go, then let’s wait and see,” Zhao added, per CNN.

In response, Taiwan has canceled the leave of some soldiers and ordered them to “immediately prepare for war” while China conducts military drills in the area.

U.S. and Taiwanese officials told CNN that Pelosi is expected to visit the island on Tuesday as part of her trip through Asia despite Democrat President Joe Biden’s apparent warning to her against making the trip. (Read more from “Taiwan Calls Troops Back From Leave To ‘Immediately Prepare For War’ As Pelosi Set To Visit Island: Reports” HERE)

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China Puts on Military Spectacle in Attempt to Scare Nancy Pelosi Away From Taiwan

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The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) staged military exercises and published propaganda videos of various weapons, including an alleged “aircraft carrier killer,” on Sunday and Monday in anticipation of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) arriving in Asia and potentially visiting Taiwan.

Pelosi landed in Singapore on Monday and has since met with its president and prime minister, bringing along a congressional delegation. Pelosi’s office confirmed the delegation would also visit Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan. Rumors for weeks have indicated that Pelosi had long been considering a surprise stop in the sovereign, democratic nation of Taiwan – defying the Chinese Communist Party, which falsely claims Taiwan as a rogue “province” and dismisses its government as an illegitimate separatist entity.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) confirmed to Breitbart News last week that Pelosi was planning to visit Taiwan and had invited him to join, though he was unable to due to scheduling reasons.

Various Communist Party spokesmen and propagandists have spent much of the past month threatening Pelosi in an attempt to prevent the visit, warning that Beijing would consider such a high-profile visit a violation of its “One China” policy – which insists that Taiwan (the Republic of China) is a province of the People’s Republic of China. Top Global Times commentator Hu Xijin suggested last week that Chinese forces should shoot Pelosi’s plane down if it appears to be traveling to Taiwan. Hu described a visit to Taiwan by Pelosi and the delegation, even if welcomed by the Taiwanese government, as an “invasion” of China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian addressed the situation with threats once again on Monday, though he did not warn of any particular measure against the United States.

(Read more from “China Puts on Military Spectacle in Attempt to Scare Nancy Pelosi Away From Taiwan” HERE)

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Israel’s War on Cash Is About to Get More Drastic

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Starting Monday, it will be a criminal offense in Israel to pay more than the equivalent of $1,700 in cash to a business or $4,360 in cash to individual, as the government intensifies its ongoing war on tangible money.

It’s a war that began in earnest with the 2018 passage of the Law for the Reduction in the Use of Cash. Israeli businesses and individuals began facing limits on cash transactions in January 2019. However, on Aug 1, those limits are being slashed nearly in half.

“We want the public to reduce the use of cash money,” Tamar Bracha, who’s responsible for carrying out the law for Israel’s Tax Authority, told The Media Line.

“The goal is to reduce cash fluidity in the market, mainly because crime organizations tend to rely on cash. By limiting the use of it, criminal activity is much harder to carry out.”

Israel also limits the extent to which cash is used in transactions involving multiple payment methods. If the total transaction value is more than the above thresholds, cash may only be used for 10% of the purchase. Car purchases are given a higher, 50,000 NIS (New Israeli Shekels) limit — about $14,700. (Read more from “Israel’s War on Cash Is About to Get More Drastic” HERE)

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Country Prepares for Looming Energy Crisis by Shutting off Warm Water, Limiting Heat, and Switching Off Lighting

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Some of Germany’s biggest cities are preparing for an energy crunch this winter by shutting off warm water, limiting heat, and switching off lighting.

The German city of Hanover is attempting to reduce its energy consumption by 15%.

Between Oct. 1 and March 31, Hanover’s municipal buildings will not be allowed to be heated to a temperature over 68F. The city has banned the use of mobile air conditioning units and fan heaters.

The citizens of Hanover will be forced to take cold showers at city-run facilities. The German city will cut off hot water in public buildings, swimming pools, and gyms.

“The situation is unpredictable. Every kilowatt hour counts, and protecting critical infrastructure has to be a priority,” said Hanover Mayor Belit Onay – who is part of the Green party. “We are facing hard times due to the Russian aggression on Ukraine. And as we see that there’s a looming gas shortage, this is a major challenge for municipalities.” (Read more from “Country Prepares for Looming Energy Crisis by Shutting off Warm Water, Limiting Heat, and Switching Off Lighting” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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