Hong Kong (CNN) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated his pledge to achieve “reunification” with Taiwan on the eve of Communist China’s 75th birthday, as Beijing flexed its military might in the run-up to the national holiday. At a state banquet celebrating the founding of the People’s Republic on Monday, Xi used his address to underscore his resolve to achieve the “complete reunification of the motherland.” “It’s an irreversible trend, a cause of righteousness and the common aspiration of the people. No one can stop the march of history,” he told the thousands in attendance at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own, despite having never controlled it, and has vowed to “reunify” with the self-governing democracy, by force if necessary. But many people on the island view themselves as distinctly Taiwanese and have no desire to be part of Communist China. The two sides have been ruled by separate governments since 1949, after the end of the Chinese civil war. The communists took power in Beijing and founded the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949, while the defeated nationalists fled to Taiwan, moving the seat of the Republic of China from the mainland to Taipei. Successive Chinese leaders have vowed to one day take control of Taiwan, but Xi, China’s most assertive leader in decades, has ramped up rhetoric and aggression against the democratic island – fueling tension across the strait and raising concerns for a military confrontation. “Taiwan is China’s sacred territory. Blood is thicker than water, and people on both sides of the strait are connected by blood,” Xi told the banquet attended by more than 3,000 people, including officials, retired party leaders and foreign dignitaries. He also called for deeper economic and cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Strait and promotion of “spiritual harmony of compatriots on both sides.” “(We must) resolutely oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities,” Xi said. Beijing has labeled Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te a “dangerous separatist,” and tensions have ratcheted up since Lai’s inauguration in May, during which he called on China to cease its intimidation of Taiwan. Taiwan officials say Beijing has intensified military activities around the island in recent months, including drills in May that the Chinese military said were designed to test its ability to “seize power” over the island. On Sunday, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said it was on alert after detecting “multiple waves” of missile firing deep in inland China. The missiles were fired by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force in the inland regions of Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Taiwan’s air defence forces have “maintained a high level of vigilance and strengthened their alert.” It comes just days after China fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean for the first time in 44 years, in a rare public test that analysts said was meant to send a message to the United States and its allies amid heightened regional tensions. The issue of Taiwan has become a major point of contention between China and the US, which maintains close but informal relations with Taipei and is bound by law to supply the island with weapons to defend itself. On Sunday, US President Joe Biden approved an additional $567 million in military support for Taiwan in the largest aid package America has granted the island. The funding will cover defence articles as well as “military education and training,” the White House said in a statement. Chinese leader Xi Jinping speaks during a National Day reception on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 30, 2024. (Photo: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images)

Musicians should not limit themselves to local performances alone. The advice from Chief Executive Officer of the Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Incorporated, Dr. Erica Smith. She says focusing on Crop Over only, limits an artiste. Dr. Smith adds that exposure to other genres helps creativity. She was speaking during the opening ceremony of a week-long International Songwriting Camp, held in collaboration with the National Cultural Foundation. Dr. Smith urges members to include COSCAP in any correspondence where music is shared, to keep its database, which is used for the distribution of royalties, updated.

Photo: Vahid Salemi/AP/FILE via CNN Newsource (CNN) — Missiles have been launched from Iran toward Israel and sirens are sounding across the country, according to a statement from Israel’s military. Earlier on Tuesday the White House warned that Iran was poised to launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel soon, instantly ratcheting up fears of all-out war in the region. In a statement released mid-morning, the White House said it had “indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” adding the United States was “actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack.” “A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” a senior White House official said in a statement. Israel assessed that Iran was likely to attack three Israeli air bases and an intelligence base located just north of Tel Aviv, a person briefed on the matter said. The intelligence base in Glilot was evacuated Tuesday afternoon, the person said, and the Israeli military has put contingency plans for the safety of personnel at those bases into effect. The US warned Israel that an attack would likely come within the next 12 hours, the person said. An Israeli source told CNN shortly after the White House’s warning that intense diplomacy is happening behind the scenes. President Joe Biden convened a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris and top national security officials Tuesday “to discuss Iranian plans to imminently launch a significant ballistic missile attack against Israel,” according to White House spokesperson Emilie Simons. Simons added, “They reviewed the status of US preparations to help Israel defend against attacks and protect US personnel.” After a year of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran’s proxies in the region — including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen — an attack by Iran toward Israel could further tip the region toward full-scale conflict. US and Arab diplomats are already concerned about what might happen after Iran’s expected attack, including the scale of Israel’s response. One major concern on their mind is Israel possibly using a forthcoming Iranian strike to respond by striking inside Iran. “There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that’s true of the entire Middle East,” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said during his speech at the United Nations last week. The US is prepared to do whatever it can to help Israel intercept anything Iran directs its way, similar to how the US offered its assistance in April, when Iran launched a wave of drones and missiles towards Israel — the vast majority of which were successfully intercepted, a US official said. The US anticipates attack from Iran against Israel could be similar in scope and scale to the one in April, a US official told CNN. The US warned Israel early Tuesday morning ET (midday Israel time) that Iran was poised to launch an attack, according to a person familiar with the matter. The warning between the two countries came several hours before the White House announced publicly that it had indications Iran was preparing an attack. The official said Iran has been postured to move quickly in an attack. After the onslaught of drones and missiles fired toward Israel in April, many of Iran’s assets remained in position. Tensions between Israel and Iran have ratcheted up significantly in recent weeks as Israel has stepped up its efforts against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, and Israel on Monday launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu asked Israelis to “stand together” and keep following the frontline commands as fears of an imminent attack from Iran grow. Netanyahu said Israel is in the throes of a “campaign against Iran’s axis of evil” and made specific demands from the Israeli public. “What I ask of you is two things: One – to strictly obey the directives of the frontline command, it saves lives. And second – to stand together,” Netanyahu said in a statement. The United States is “tracking events in the Middle East very closely” and “is committed to Israel’s defense,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday. “We’re watching developments, as I said, very carefully at this moment,” Blinken said in brief remarks alongside his Moroccan counterpart. Blinken did not make any specific reference to Iran or the potential attack. The US Embassy in Israel directed all US government personnel and family members “to shelter in place until further notice” because of “the current security situation,” it said in a security alert Tuesday. “This is provided for your information as you make your own security plans,” the alert said, without mentioning the specific warnings of an imminent attack from Iran.