News of the World

[kyonides]

Biden Administration Confirms Plan to Give IDs to Illegal Immigrants

The pilot program from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is aimed at modernizing “documentation provided to some noncitizens,” an ICE spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email on July 29.

“Currently, noncitizens receive paper documents from the federal government about their immigration status. Paper documents pose a security risk, are easily lost, and degrade rapidly in real-world use, creating inefficiencies for the government and noncitizens. Moving to a secure card will save the agency millions, free up resources, and ensure information is quickly accessible to DHS officials while reducing the agency’s FOIA backlog,” the spokesperson said.

“For provisionally released noncitizens, the digital modernization will provide ongoing access to important immigration documents through the secure card and connected portal.”
...
The program is being described as a concept, with specifics still being decided.
...
The congressmen cited reports that said the card could let illegal immigrants travel by plane and receive benefits through certain aid programs, writing that the issuance of the cards “raises the possibility that illegal aliens will use these identification cards to improperly access benefits such as housing, healthcare, and transportation.”

Biden Seeks to Work on Nuclear Deal With China, Russia

Biden made the remarks prior to the opening of the 10th U.N. Review on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), a 1970 treaty aimed at reducing nuclear weapons globally. The review, which happens once every five years, was scheduled for 2020 but was delayed because of COVID-19.
...
Russia and the United States extended their New START treaty in February, which will extend caps on the number of strategic nuclear warheads that either nation will deploy and limits the number of land, sea, and air units capable of delivering them until 2026.

The United States and Russia have been able to reach agreements in the past on nuclear arms control measures, regardless of wider political disagreements. However, Biden suggested that Russia would need to demonstrate that it actually intends to abide by the terms of the treaty, given its invasion of Ukraine five months ago.
...
“There can be no winners in a nuclear war and it must never be unleashed, and we stand for equal and indivisible security for all members of the world community,” [Russian President Vladimir Putin] wrote.

It was unclear if Putin knew the nature of Biden’s comments before drafting the letter. But an unnamed official in Russia’s Foreign Ministry mocked Biden’s statements in apparent disbelief.

 What the hell? How are they expecting to achieve such a goal when the last two US governments have been unable to make China respect any international agreement they have signed or even discussed? Besides Putin feels his country is strong enough to deal with US military aids sent to Ukraine and its currency has become stronger that it should be under normal circumstances. He's definitely not missing the chance to exploit Biden's weaknesses at all.

US, China Deploy Military Forces Near Taiwan Ahead of Pelosi Trip

China and the United States both deployed military forces to the region around Taiwan on Aug. 1 following Chinese threats of a military attack in response to a proposed visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced through state-owned media outlets that it would deploy forces for live-fire exercises in waters north of Taiwan, between mainland China and South Korea. The exercises are the latest in a series of back-to-back Chinese drills in the region. However, they’re notable in that the announcement was accompanied by footage of China’s DF-17 hypersonic missile.

Dubbed the “aircraft carrier killer,” the DF-17 is a nuclear-capable ballistic missile fitted with a hypersonic glide vehicle that allows its payload to glide in low orbit at great speed before plunging down on its target. The footage released this week marks the first time ever that a live fire recording of the weapon has been released.

The United States announced that it was moving a carrier strike group and air support closer to Taiwan. The USS Ronald Reagan is typically stationed at Yokosuka, Japan, and is moving back into the South China Sea after making a five-day port call in Singapore last week.

Grain ship leaves Ukraine port for first time since Russia blockade

A ship carrying Ukrainian grain has left the port of Odesa for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion under an internationally brokered deal to unblock Ukraine’s agricultural exports and ease a growing global food crisis.

The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, carrying 26,000 tonnes of corn, finally set sail for Lebanon on Monday morning, according to Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry, following weeks of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, led by Turkey and the United Nations.

The Russian blockade of Ukraine’s ports since the start of the war in February has stoked a worldwide grain shortage that has caused the UN to warn of a looming hunger catastrophe.
...
The Kremlin said the news of the departure was “very positive” and Turkey’s defence ministry said more ships would follow. Kubrakov said 16 loaded vessels had been stuck in Ukraine’s ports since the Russian invasion began and that officials planned for the ports to regain full transport capacity in the coming weeks.

Fighting meanwhile continued across Ukraine’s frontlines, according to Ukraine’s general staff, as four additional US-supplied Himar long-range rocket systems as well as a third German Mars II, another long-range rocket system, arrived in Ukraine.

I guess they badly needed some good news and here they are. Let's hope that nobody dares to attack the port or the ships at some point.