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)

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US Strike Takes Out Al Qaeda Mastermind

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Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has been killed in a CIA drone strike in Afghanistan, U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday, the biggest blow to the militant group since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011.

One of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a drone strike was carried out by the CIA in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday.

In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that a strike took place and strongly condemned it, calling it a violation of “international principles.” (Read more from “US Strike Takes Out Al Qaeda Mastermind” HERE)

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Putin Admits ‘No Winners’ in Nuclear War as UN Warns of Risks of ‘Misunderstanding’

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that a nuclear war “should never” be launched — as the head of the United Nations warned that the strongman’s Ukraine war is “one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away” from putting the world in danger of nuclear annihilation.

Putin’s comments came in a letter to participants at a UN conference to reaffirm the nuclear non-proliferation treaty that began Monday.

“We proceed from the fact that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed, and we stand for equal and indivisible security for all members of the world community,” the Russian leader said.

The remarks were a sharp departure from the Kremlin’s constant reminders of its nuclear capability during the past five months of the war in Ukraine.

As Putin invaded Ukraine in February, he warned that interference from Western nations would bring “consequences you have never seen” — widely interpreted to be a nuclear threat. (Read more from “Putin Admits ‘No Winners’ in Nuclear War as UN Warns of Risks of ‘Misunderstanding'” HERE)

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