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18 Injured in Fire Aboard Ship at Naval Base San Diego

Gordon Chang: On the Hong Kong Security Law, the India China Standoff, and Banning TikTok

Just over a week in, what do we know about the National Security Law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing? Why hasn’t President Trump yet signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act? How is the Chinese regime becoming increasingly belligerent internationally, from its border with India to the South China Sea? And, how does the Chinese regime mine and use the data of Americans? Should the U.S. ban Chinese-owned apps like TikTok? In this episode, we sit down with political commentator and China analyst Gordon Chang, author of “The Coming Collapse of China.” This is American Thought Leaders ??, and I’m Jan Jekielek. American Thought Leaders is an Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube and The Epoch Times website.  Follow Jan on Twitter: @JanJekielek Focus News: Gordon Chang: On the Hong…

18 Injured in Fire Aboard Ship at Naval Base San Diego

SAN DIEGO—Eighteen people suffered minor injuries in a July 12 explosion and fire aboard a ship at Naval Base San Diego, military officials said.

The blaze was reported shortly before 9 a.m. on USS Bonhomme Richard, said Mike Raney, a spokesman for Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

San Diego firefighters arrived at the three-alarm fire on early on July 12 to find thick black smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air from several points along the 844-foot amphibious assault ship docked at the San Diego Naval base, according to live video footage of the scene.

Emergency crews in boats were alongside the burning ship, spraying it with hoses.

Eighteen people were hospitalized with “non-life-threatening injuries,” Raney said in a brief statement. He didn’t have additional details.

Previously officials said at least one person was treated for smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. It wasn’t immediately known where on the vessel the blast and the fire occurred.

The flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke visible around San Diego.

San Diego is the Bonhomme Richard’s home port, and the ship was undergoing routine maintenance at the time of the fire.

About 160 sailors and officers were on board, Raney said—far fewer than the thousand typically on the ship when it’s on active duty.

The ship has the capacity to deploy and land helicopters, smaller boats, and amphibious vehicles.

Earlier on July 12, the San Diego Fire-Rescue department wrote on Twitter that there had been an explosion at the ship and that they were working with Federal Fire to clear the area.

All San Diego Fire-Rescue responders were accounted for as of 11.19 a.m. PDT  (12.19 p.m. EDT), the department said on Twitter.

Around noon local time, the department said all its personnel had been instructed to exit the pier, while aerial video footage showed the blaze appeared to grow.

The ship could burn for days, “down to the waterline,” San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell told CNN’s Erica Hill on July 12.

“The Navy is the only one that will work from the pier side, as well as the harbor PD on the fireboats, working from the waterside to contain the heat of it,” Stowell said.

It’s unclear what started the fire. Initial reports from the ship indicate it started in the well deck, according to a defense official.

The well deck is where small landing craft enter and exit the belly of the ship.

Reuters and The CNN Wire contributed to this report.

Focus News: 18 Injured in Fire Aboard Ship at Naval Base San Diego

US Warns Americans in China of ‘Heightened Risk’ of Arbitrary Detention, Exit Bans

The U.S. state department has warned Americans to exercise “increased caution” in China due to an elevated risk of arbitrary law enforcement, including detention and bans on exiting the country. The security alert, issued on July 11 by the U.S. Embassy in China, said U.S. citizens “may be detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime.” It added that Americans may be subject to “prolonged interrogations and extended detention for reasons related to ‘state security.’” “Security personnel may detain and/or deport U.S. citizens for sending private electronic messages critical of the PRC [People’s Republic of China] government,” the alert said. It did not provide specific examples. The department did not say what prompted the notice. The move comes amid deteriorating relations between Washington and Beijing…