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White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Monday hinted that President Trump will announce executive orders dealing with China after they mishandled the coronavirus outbreak. “This president will do more in the next four weeks than Joe Biden and his team did in the last 40 years, so you just need to stay tuned because starting this week, you’ll see executive orders, you’ll see business that goes forward from the Oval Office,” Meadows told "Fox & Friends." Meadows said that when Congress “does not act” against China, Trump will take action. “We’re going to be looking at how we...

The new North American free trade agreement that goes into effect Wednesday was touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as an engine of American job creation. But Japan's automakers are largely opting instead to keep operations in place and pay Mexican workers more or even just pay tariffs. The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement requires 40% or more of parts for each passenger vehicle be manufactured by workers who are paid at least $16 per hour as a condition to make them tariff free in the region. Trump hailed that feature as a way to boost production in the U.S., which has a...

Overnight Defense: DOD reportedly eyeing Confederate flag ban | House military spending bill blocks wall funding BY ELLEN MITCHELL - 07/06/20 07:51 PM EDT THE TOPLINE: The Pentagon is working on a policy that would ban the display of Confederate flags at military bases, according to multiple reports on Monday. The draft policy, if put into effect, would ban the flag’s display in Department of Defense (DOD) workplaces or public areas by service members and civilian personnel, the Associated Press reported. And CNN reported that military legal personnel are reviewing how such a department-wide ban can be carried out, and...

The new alliance between Holcombe Mixers, Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. and Caterpillar Inc. is the latest strategic collaboration to accelerate completion of the border wall. “Working with Holcombe Mixers has been a game changer,” said Tommy Fisher, President and CEO of Fisher Sand and Gravel. “We made a commitment to President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security, and the US Army Corps of Engineers to get the wall up faster, and do it financially smarter. Generally, you’re pouring 2-5 loads per day. With Holcombe Mixers, we can pour 20-25 loads of fresh concrete each day and not have to...

His Holiness the Dalai Lama turns eighty-five today. The atheists in Beijing are eagerly waiting for him to die so that they can pick his successor. They will do almost anything to gain control of Tibetan Buddhism—and all religion in China for that matter. Tibetans wear the robes of tragedy. His Holiness fled China-controlled Tibet in 1959, crossing the Himalayas on foot into India just ahead of Chinese soldiers. He and his followers have now settled into the foothills of Dharamshala. In that town and around the world, Tibetans are now celebrating the Year of Gratitude for His Holiness, which...

NEW DELHI/BEIJING—China began pulling back troops from along its contested border with India on July 6, Indian government sources said, following a clash between the two countries last month in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. Troops fought for hours with rods and clubs on the night of June 15, with some falling to their deaths in the freezing waters of the Galwan river in the western Himalayas. China has yet to confirm whether it suffered casualties. The Indian deaths are the highest along the border in more than five decades, a dramatic escalation that led to weeks of talks...

229 miles completed, 326 miles under construction, 183 miles under pre-construction. (738 Total)

NEW YORK -- Jeffrey Epstein's longtime confidante Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred Monday to New York to face charges that she recruited women and girls, one as young as 14, for him to sexually abuse, the Bureau of Prisons confirmed. Prosecutors have asked a judge to schedule a Friday court appearance in Manhattan federal court for for Maxwell, 58, who was arrested last week at a $1 million estate she had purchased in New Hampshire. Maxwell, the daughter of British publishing magnate Robert Maxwell, was the former girlfriend and longtime close associate of Epstein, who killed himself in a Manhattan jail...

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking a pass on a meeting this week with U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Trudeau’s office says he wishes the two countries and their leaders well but Trudeau will remain in Ottawa for a cabinet retreat and a scheduled sitting of Parliament. Lopez Obrador is travelling to D.C. in part to celebrate the entry-into-force of the new North American free-trade deal and had expressed hope Trudeau would join as well. Trudeau’s office says the prime minister will continue to work with both countries to ensure the agreement becomes a...

Speaking in Rome on the 4th of July at his first rally since the Corona lockdown in Italy, Lega party head Matteo Salvini sent special greetings to President Trump and the people of the United States. by Collin McMahon “Today is a special day, it is the Fourth of July. On the other side of the ocean, it is Independence Day. So I want to send a greeting, from me and from all of you,” Matteo Salvini said to the crowd of one thousand fans waving the Italian tricolore on Rome’s Piazza del Populo, socially distanced on reserved places,...

A herdsman from northern China has been diagnosed with bubonic plague Inner Mongolia officials issued a third-level warning for plague prevention Bubonic plague is known as the 'Black Death' that killed millions in 14th century Fears of a new wave of virus outbreak after coronavirus are fuelled in the country But experts say the disease is not going to become a global threat like COVID-19 ============================================================================= Authorities in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia have issued an early epidemic warning after a resident contracted bubonic plague. Bubonic plague, known as the 'Black Death' in the Middle Ages, is one...

Iran is stewing over the potential loss of its most advanced centrifuge production plant after some kind of explosion and fire severely damaged it. Naturally, the Iranians are being pretty closemouthed about the incident. They haven’t said much about the fire and explosion at what was suspected to be a nuclear research facility in the mountains outside of Tehran, either. But it’s hard to hide what happened at Natanz — the nuclear facility with the highest-profile in the country. And Iran is hinting that the destruction of its advanced centrifuge plant might have been caused by some kind of variation...

It is the city administration in nearby Severodvinsk that has posted the warning on its portal. «From 6:00 on July 7 to 18:00 on July 8, the village of Nenoksa are inside the danger zone during work by the 1st scientific center of military unit 09703,» the message reads. The military informed the Severodvinsk administration that the evacuation is «for those wishing to leave Nenoksa.» There are about 500 inhabitants in the village which is located 2 kilometers from the missile test site of the navy. Five busses will be ready to evacuate the villagers. ... Port Authorities of Arkhangelsk...

Beijing (AFP) - Chinese authorities on Monday detained a law professor who published essays criticising President Xi Jinping over the coronavirus pandemic and his efforts to consolidate power, according to friends of the man. Xu Zhangrun, a rare outspoken critic of the government in China's heavily censored academia, was taken from his home in suburban Beijing by more than 20 people, one of his friends said on condition of anonymity. Xu published an essay in February blaming the culture of deception and censorship fostered by Xi for the spread of the coronavirus in China. China's "leader system is itself destroying...

An American Navy combat ship this week conducted “routine operations” near a Chinese geological survey ship in the South China Sea. The maneuvers in waters around the Spratly Islands echoed events off the north coast of Malaysian Borneo in April, when a Chinese survey vessel and a fleet of China Coast Guard (CCG) ships shadowed Malaysian oil exploration efforts, in an apparent bid to deter the smaller nation from exploiting resources in the disputed waters. “The Chinese Communist Party must end its pattern of bullying Southeast Asians out of offshore oil, gas, and fisheries. Millions of people in the region...

Mexican military forces killed a total of 16 gunmen from a faction of Los Zetas in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas... The shootout took place on Friday early morning in the Los Fresnos neighborhood when members of the Mexican army were patrolling the streets of Nuevo Laredo. The soldiers encountered a convoy of SUVs filled with cartel gunmen in military-style uniforms, Breitbart Texas initially reported... The deceased gunmen are believed to be members of a paramilitary group known as Hell’s Troops or Tropa del Infierno. The group is part of the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas....

Research planned to investigate alleged racial profiling by German police forces has been canceled, an Interior Ministry spokesman said on Sunday. According to the Zeit Online news portal, the ministry decided to drop the study, which was in the “conceptual development” stage, and cited Interior Minister Horst Seehofer as saying there is no need. The term “racial profiling” indicates increased targeting of ethnic minorities, most commonly by law enforcement agencies. […] On Sunday, a spokesperson for the Justice Ministry refused to comment on the media report but referred to an earlier statement, which said that the study is an important...

Pakistan said Saturday that it will re-open its western border with Iran from July 5 for trade. In a notification, the ministry of interior said it will re-open the border at four crossing points at Gabd, Mand, Katagar, and Chedgi and they will remain opened seven days a week from morning till evening. “Unlimited number of trucks will be allowed while ensuring all Covid-19 related SOPs and protocols,” read the notification. The ministry said the decision to re-open border crossings with Iran was taken on July 2 in the meeting of National Command Operation Center. Pakistan had first closed its...

Our state informed OSCE about military potential being accumulated by Russia against Ukraine Ukrainian and American experts, as well as the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, warned that under the pretext of holding strategic exercises Kavkaz 2020, Russia may resort to a large-scale offensive against Ukraine. The other day, the Russian president signed a decree on conscription from the reserve "for military training" - without specific dates for this training. This only increased the likelihood of an offensive – behind the decree may be the attempt of the Russian leadership to conduct a covert mass mobilization for...

Chinese state media Xinhua reported that the Cuban statement said the law was beneficial for Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, and guarantees that Hong Kong residents can exercise their freedom in a “safe environment.” The law criminalizes anti-government movements, and is targeted at pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong who have pushed back against Beijing’s incursions on freedoms in the territory -- which is supposed to be ruled on the principle of “one country, two systems.” The law punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. It also establishes a national security...