Several Chinese state-owned companies could be hit with US sanctions for their roles in expanding the nation’s presence in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

David Stilwell, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, this week accused China of using its state-owned firms to bully its regional neighbours to secure oil and mineral reserves. He also hinted that the US might respond with sanctions against the officials and enterprises involved.

https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3093698/south-china-sea-chinese-state-firms-could-face-us-sanctions?utm_content=article&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter&__twitter_impression=true

A picture from the burning Cathedral in Nantes, France.

🇺🇸 For the 2nd time in two weeks, the U.S. has deployed 2 aircraft carriers to the South China Sea, the U.S. Navy said on Friday.

"Nimitz and Reagan Carrier Strike Groups are operating in the South China Sea, wherever international law allows".

@ISCResearch

Turkey is recruiting Syrian militants to fight as mercenaries for the Azerbaijani Armed Forces against the Arminian military, Sham FM reported on July 18.


Turkish forces opened a recruitment center for that purpose in the occupied city of Afrin in northern Aleppo. Ankara is allegedly offering militants high salaries.

@ISCResearch

🇬🇷 GREECE – Hellenic Air Force F-16 aircraft in low attitude over Kastelorizo returning from an interception mission against Turkish Air Force which attempted to infiltrate into the territorial zone.

https://twitter.com/ISCResearch/status/1284544010237992960?s=09

BREAKING 🇮🇷 IRAN 💥 Another explosion happens in Ma'ashour.

A oil pipeline has exploded!

🇺🇸🇩🇪 According to a Tweet released by US Army Europe twitter account on July 18, 2020, the U.S. Army has deployed M1A2 Abrams Sep V2 main battle tanks in Germany fitted with the new Trophy APS (Active Protection System). The Trophy is an APS developed and designed by the Israeli Company Rafael that can be integrated into main battle tanks and combat vehicles. The goal of this APS is to intercept and destroy incoming anti-tank guided missiles and rockets with a shotgun-like blast.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_july_2020_global_security_army_industry/us_army_deploys_in_germany_m1a2_sep_v2_main_battle_tanks_fitted_with_trophy_aps_active_protection_system.html

🚨URGENT 🇱🇾 LIBYA: Turkish backed GNA forces send some reinforcements to the Sirte front.

⚠️ First reports of fighting were reported.

💣 It seems the last warning from US intel to LNA for accepting ceasefire was fruitless.

Stay tuned ..

https://twitter.com/ISCResearch/status/1284575855830863873?s=09

🚨 🇱🇾 LIBYA – Large numbers of armored vehicles, BMC Kirpi and ACV15, Turkish soldiers & Syrian mercenaries arrived this evening, west of Sirte.

Turkey takes the leadership in the International "maritime mission" in the Gulf of Aden against piracy

Turkey headed the command of the Joint Task Forces "CTF-151" to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement, yesterday, Saturday, that it is taking command of the joint missions, from June 25 to December 10, 2020.

The statement pointed out that the joint mission forces include 13 elements from the United States, Brazil, Bahrain, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Pakistan and Oman.

He pointed out that the Turkish Navy will send a frigate to the Gulf of Aden next September.

Since February 25, 2009, the Turkish navy has participated in the international joint task force to combat piracy in the region, and has previously led the leadership 5 times.

The Combined Maritime Forces, a multinational coalition established in February 2002, aims to enhance security by fighting piracy and terrorism in the waters of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, including the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

https://arabic.rt.com/world/1135781-تركيا-تتولى-قيادة-المهام-البحرية-في-خليج-عدن/amp/

🚨 URGENT – 🇱🇾 LIBYA: There are reports of Turkish-backed GNA forces arrives on the outskirts of Al-Jufra (where Russian Wagner PMC mercenaries are deployed).

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The FBI has accused the Chinese consulate in San Francisco of harboring a Chinese biology researcher who lied about her affiliations with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to receive an American visa.

According to a filing in the U.S. district court in San Francisco on Monday (July 20), Tang Juan (唐娟), who entered the U.S. last fall to conduct research at the University of California, Davis, had on her visa application denied that she had served in the Chinese military. However, investigators found photos on the Internet of Tang in a military uniform, later discovering that she had worked as a researcher at China's Air Force Military Medical University and was still considered active military personnel.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3972280