DOD warns Chinese about military exercises, missile launches in South China Sea

“The PRC’s actions, including missile tests, further destabilize the situation in the South China Sea,” the Pentagon declared in a statement.

The Defense Department on Thursday warned the People’s Republic of China for carrying out military exercises with ballistic- missile launches in the disputed South China Sea, calling them “counterproductive” when it comes to successfully “maintaining stability.”

“Conducting military exercises over disputed territory in the South China Sea is counterproductive to easing tensions and maintaining stability. The PRC’s actions, including missile tests, further destabilize the situation in the South China Sea,” the Pentagon declared in a statement about China’s activities that started on August 23 and will run through Saturday.

China’s recent actions represents a breach of the nation’s commitments in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, the U.S. said.

https://justthenews.com/world/asia/dod-decries-chinese-military-exercises-and-missile-launches-south-china-sea

Poll: Fewer than half of all voters say Democratic VP pick Harris is qualified to become president

Whether the Democratic senator is qualified follows questions about whether the 77-year-old Biden is physically and mentally capable of running the country.

Fewer than half of registered voters say presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris is qualified to become president if circumstances should dictate she do so, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.

Asked if Harris, a freshman California senator, is “qualified to serve as president of the United States” if “it were to become necessary,” just 47% of poll respondents said yes.

The remaining 53% of respondents said no (32%) or that they were “not sure” (21%). 

Responses from the two major political parties, meanwhile, were lopsided: Eight out of 10 Democrats said that Harris was qualified, while only 15% of Republicans felt that way.

Notably, just 39% of independent voters – a critical demographic for deciding elections – think Harris could properly handle the duties of the presidency. 

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/polling/poll-fewer-half-all-voters-believe-kamala-harris-qualified-become-president

‘Most Pro-Abortion Presidential Ticket In American History’: Pro-Life Groups Condemn Biden VP Kamala Harris

  • Pro-life groups roundly condemned 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden’s Tuesday vice presidential pick, Kamala Harris, calling her an “extremist.” 
  • “Together,” Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said, “Biden and Harris constitute the most pro-abortion presidential ticket in American history.”
  • The SBA List also released a five figure TV ad buy Tuesday that specifically targets Harris for her “extremism on abortion.” 

The former vice president announced Tuesday that Harris would be running with him in his bid for the White House. Harris has a long history of advocating for increased abortion access and against pro-life policy: she has voted against abortion bills that protect the unborn after 20 weeks of pregnancy and voted against protecting babies born alive after failed abortions.

As a presidential candidate, Harris promised to codify Roe v. Wade,require judicial nominees to support Roe v. Wade, to repeal the Hyde Amendment, to require private insurers to cover abortion and contraception, to make abortion drugs and birth control available over the counter, to ban abstinence only sex ed, to preserve funding for Planned Parenthood, and much more.  She also said she would not consider a running mate who opposed abortion rights. (RELATED: Harris Slams Biden Over His Flip On Taxpayer-Funded Abortion)

Italian Demolitions Expert Believes Lithium-Metal Involved in Beirut Explosion

While Danilo Coppe believes ammonium nitrate may have very well been involved, the Italian expert is convinced that lithium-metal was certainly involved in the explosion.

The explosion that occurred last Tuesday in Beirut remains surrounded by a lot of unknowns. While we do know that over 160 people were killed and roughly 5,000 injured, the actual source remains a mystery. It’s suggested that over 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate were involved. However, Italian demolitions expert Danilo Coppe suggests that while ammonium nitrate was likely a factor, other explosives certainly played a role.

Coppe explained his skepticism stating, “I do not believe there was that amount of ammonium nitrate at the Port of Beirut, nor that there was a fireworks depot,” even though there did appear to be fireworks that were detonated during the initial fire. He argues that certain evidence points to the fact that an explosive like lithium-metal was involved.

He explained, “Instead, from the videos of the explosion, in addition to the white sphere that can be seen expanding – which is condensation of the sea air – you can clearly see a brick orange column tending to bright red, typical of lithium’s presence.”

Several reports in the last week have suggested that a type of rocket fuel was involved, leading to the conclusion for many that Hezbollah was using at least one of the facilities to produce precision-guided missiles.

Shortly after the blast, Former Lebanese President Michel Aoun stated, “There are two possibilities for what happened. Either it was a result of negligence or external interference by a missile or a bomb.”August 10th, 2020|News http://www.BeholdIsrael.org/news

Israel Attacks Syria Following Attempted Border Bombing

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli fighter jets, helicopters, and aircraft carried out airstrikes against the Syrian military Monday evening in response to an attempt by four men to plant explosives near the security fence between Israel and Syria Sunday night.

The Israel Defense Forces struck numerous positions held by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces, including observation posts, intelligence collections systems, anti-aircraft artillery, and command and control systems.

“The IDF sees the Syrian regime as responsible for all operations carried out in its territory and will continue to act with determination against all attacks on the sovereignty of the State of Israel,” said the IDF in a statement.

Syria’s official news agency, SANA, said that the Syrian military engaged “hostile targets” near Damascus, and the enemy airstrikes inflicted “material damage” in the city of Quneitra.  Al-Arabiya reports that some injuries were sustained during the strikes.

Shortly before the airstrikes, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that an air raid by unidentified aircraft had killed at least 15 Iranian-backed militiamen in al-Bukamal.

Citing “reliable sources,” the group said the attack targeted “positions of Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias in Imam Ali Base, areas near Al-Sekka, and in Al-Bokamal desert in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.”

SOHR sources said that military vehicles transported dead and injured militiamen to Iraq.

On Sunday, Israeli troops killed four men who entered Israeli territory and attempted to plant explosives near an unmanned IDF post along the security fence.

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2020/august/israel-attacks-syria-following-attempted-border-bombing-attack

Xi’s China Church Crackdown Worse Than Under Mao

07-29-2020Gary Lane

Christians in China say the latest wave of persecution against them is worse than what the church experienced during the height of Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Christians have suffered ongoing pressures under President Xi Jinping, but they say government oppression has intensified since the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year. 

July 22nd, 2020: A loud knock on the door could be heard at the home of a woman in China’s Xiamen city.  She told the police outside they could not enter her home without a permit.

Moments later, they destroy the lock and entered anyway, breaking up what the government said was an illegal meeting.

Four days later, on Sunday, July 26th, government workers removed the cross from the roof of Small River Christian Church in Xinfeng county, Jiangxi province.

These are just two recent examples – both incidents that occurred just days ago in the Chinese Communist Party’s crackdown on Christians and their churches.

China Aid President Bob Fu said this wave of persecution actually began in 2015, but now the Chinese Communist Party has a new excuse for targeting Christians.

“Now under this pretext of Covid-19 coronavirus,  the Chinese Communist Party  has intensified its persecution by banning all the church activities – even those worship services, prayer meetings in believers’ own homes with their own family members.”  

The government has also used this as an excuse to arrest Christians who called for on-line prayer meetings.

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http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2020/july/xis-china-church-crackdown-worse-than-under-mao