U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have always been a cornerstone of regional peace and stability and are something confirmed in U.S. law, a senior Taiwanese diplomat said on Saturday after President Donald Trump said he had not decided on future sales.

Russia and Ukraine continued trading intense strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure overnight, less than a day after the parties signalled that peace negotiations were moving forward in U.S.-brokered talks. Read more:

FLASHBACK: 🇺🇸In 1998, the U.S. recorded its first federal budget surplus in nearly 30 years under President Bill Clinton. His presidency also saw 22.7 million jobs added, unemployment fall to 4%, and the longest peacetime economic expansion in U.S. history at the time.

ChinaAid Welcomes Release of Pastor Ezra Jin to US, Calls for Freedom for All Prisoners of Faith MIDLAND, Texas — July 5, 2026 — ChinaAid welcomes with profound gratitude the release of imprisoned Chinese house church pastor Ezra Jin (Pastor Jin), who arrived safely in Los Angeles on July 4, 2026, after being released directly from detention in China. According to information received by ChinaAid from trusted sources, Pastor Jin was released from detention and transported to the United States in an extraordinary diplomatic arrangement. Chinese officials reportedly informed him that his release resulted from discussions between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and was presented as a goodwill gesture coinciding with America’s Independence Day. Pastor Jin had spent months in detention because of his Christian faith and ministry. His unexpected freedom is an answer to countless prayers offered by Christians around the world and demonstrates once again that sustained international advocacy can save lives and restore freedom. “We rejoice with Pastor Ezra Jin, his family, and the global Body of Christ on this remarkable Independence Day miracle,” said Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, Founder and President of ChinaAid. “We thank Almighty God for hearing the prayers of His people. We are deeply grateful to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and all U.S. officials who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to secure Pastor Jin’s freedom. Their unwavering commitment demonstrates that principled leadership and persistent diplomacy can make a life-saving difference.” Dr. Fu continued: “While we celebrate Pastor Jin’s freedom, our hearts remain with the countless pastors including 8 other jailed pastors and coworkers from Zion Church, priests, bishops, house church Christians, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners, and other prisoners of conscience who remain unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party. We respectfully call on President Trump and his Administration to continue making religious freedom and the release of all prisoners of faith a top priority in every engagement with Beijing. True progress in U.S.-China relations must include freedom for those imprisoned simply because they choose to believe.” ChinaAid also expresses its appreciation to members of Congress, international religious freedom advocates, churches, and countless individuals around the world whose prayers and advocacy helped keep Pastor Jin’s case before senior U.S. officials. As Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Pastor Jin’s arrival on American soil serves as a powerful reminder that the universal longing for religious liberty transcends national borders. ChinaAid will continue to advocate tirelessly until every prisoner jailed for peacefully exercising his or her faith is released. “Freedom for Pastor Jin is a tremendous victory,” Dr. Fu added. “But our work is not finished until every prisoner of faith is free.” Media Contact: ChinaAid Association Email: media@chinaaid.org

BREAKING STORY: ChinaAid Welcomes the Release of Pastor Ezra Jin to the United States, Calls for Freedom for All Prisoners of Faith MIDLAND, Texas — July 5, 2026 — ChinaAid welcomes with profound gratitude the release of imprisoned Chinese house church pastor Ezra Jin (Pastor Jin), who arrived safely in Los Angeles on July 4, 2026, after being released directly from detention in China. According to information received by ChinaAid from trusted sources, Pastor Jin was released from detention and transported to the United States in an extraordinary diplomatic arrangement. Chinese officials reportedly informed him that his release resulted from discussions between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and was presented as a goodwill gesture coinciding with America’s Independence Day. Pastor Jin had spent months in detention because of his Christian faith and ministry. His unexpected freedom is an answer to countless prayers offered by Christians around the world and demonstrates once again that sustained international advocacy can save lives and restore freedom. “We rejoice with Pastor Ezra Jin, his family, and the global Body of Christ on this remarkable Independence Day miracle,” said Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, Founder and President of ChinaAid. “We thank Almighty God for hearing the prayers of His people. We are deeply grateful to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and all U.S. officials who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to secure Pastor Jin’s freedom. Their unwavering commitment demonstrates that principled leadership and persistent diplomacy can make a life-saving difference.” Dr. Fu continued: “While we celebrate Pastor Jin’s freedom, our hearts remain with the countless pastors, priests, bishops, house church Christians, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners, and other prisoners of conscience who remain unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party. We respectfully call on President Trump and his Administration to continue making religious freedom and the release of all prisoners of faith a top priority in every engagement with Beijing. True progress in U.S.-China relations must include freedom for those imprisoned simply because they choose to believe.” ChinaAid also expresses its appreciation to members of Congress, international religious freedom advocates, churches, and countless individuals around the world whose prayers and advocacy helped keep Pastor Jin’s case before senior U.S. officials. As Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Pastor Jin’s arrival on American soil serves as a powerful reminder that the universal longing for religious liberty transcends national borders. ChinaAid will continue to advocate tirelessly until every prisoner jailed for peacefully exercising his or her faith is released. “Freedom for Pastor Jin is a tremendous victory,” Dr. Fu added. “But our work is not finished until every prisoner of faith is free.” Media Contact: ChinaAid Association Email: media@chinaaid.org

Shiba Inu Scammers Are Using Ryoshi's Name to Trap Investors At least 137 scam tokens have falsely claimed links to Shiba Inu's original deployer since its wallet went silent five years ago, according to community member Mazrael. The tokens have generated over 9,131 fake transfers across more than 2,500 wallets. Scammers allegedly manipulate token records to make it appear that Ryoshi endorsed or transferred their tokens. The actual $SHIB deployer has not sent a transaction since October 2021.