Taiwan fires warning shots at unidentified drone near Kinmen County

All three drones later flew back toward the Chinese mainland, according to the Defense Command. Kinmen County is governed by the self-ruling island of Taiwan, which Beijing views as its territory despite never having controlled it.

It was not clear who was flying the unidentified drones.

On Tuesday, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said during a troop inspection that she had ordered the island's Defense Ministry to take "necessary and forceful countermeasures as appropriate" against what she called Chinese grey zone warfare tactics, including "drone harassments."

"We will not give China the pretext to create conflict. We will not provoke disputes and we will be restrained, yet that does not mean we will not counteract," Tsai said.

The Chinese government has not yet commented on the incident. However, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was asked Monday about previous reports of private drones flying in the area and responded: "I have seen the videos too. Chinese drones flying over China's territory -- what's there to be surprised at?"

Kinmen County is made up of several islands and islets between the mainland coastal Chinese city of Xiamen and Taiwan's main island.

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Wildfires ravaged US states get flash flood warning

"A significant heavy rainfall event" could strike Arizona and New Mexico states, leading to sudden inundations, especially in areas previously devastated by wildfires, federal forecaster warns.

A 'bathtub ring' of mineral deposits left by higher water levels is visible beyond Elephant Butte Dam at the drought-stricken Elephant Butte Reservoir near Truth or Consequences city in New Mexico. (AFP)

Drought-stricken parts of the western United States have been warned to be on alert for flash flooding, with up to 15 centimetres of rain expected in some areas.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said on Friday that "a significant heavy rainfall event" could strike Arizona and New Mexico, leading to sudden inundations –– especially in areas previously ravaged by wildfires.

Very heavy rainfall is "forecast for portions of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico today and Saturday," the NWS said.

"Average rainfall totals of 2-3 inches, with locally higher amounts approaching 5-6 inches, may lead to numerous instances of flash flooding.

"Complex terrain, slot canyons, arroyos, and burn scars are especially vulnerable," the agency said.

Painful drought and climate crisis

The western United States is more than 20 years into a painful drought that has left rivers and reservoirs badly depleted, and the countryside tinder-dry.

But sudden, intense downpours like that forecast are not necessarily helpful.

"If the water all comes down over a very quick period of time, it'll run off," Chris Rasmussen, an NWS meteorologist in Tucson, Arizona, told AFP news agency.

"It doesn't get a chance to really soak into the ground, as you would like to see.

"It's always nicer to have a good, moderate amount of rain over a long period of time."

Human activity, specifically the runaway use of fossil fuels over the last century, has caused the Earth's average temperature to rise.

This has altered weather patterns, worsening droughts in some parts of the world, and intensifying storms in other areas.

Source: AFP

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UK issues ‘danger to life’ warning after severe flooding

LONDON 

Southern England experienced torrential rainfall and severe flooding Wednesday following weeks of dry weather.

In response to the extreme weather pattern, the Meteorological Office issued a “danger to life” flood warning covering most parts of the southeast and the capital London.

Across parts of the UK, severe flooding has left homes and businesses damaged with streets underwater. London’s Victoria train station, a major travel hub in the capital, was disrupted by flooding.

"Not long after 3 p.m. this afternoon, station colleagues at London Victoria noticed flooding at the main entrance due to heavy rainfall, with large volumes of water running down the slope leading towards the eastern concourse,” said Network Rail, one of the main operators at the station.

The southwest of England this week has experienced an uptick in thunderstorms and flooding after weeks of hot weather brought on by two successive heat waves.

The subsequent drought that followed the heat waves has made soil dry and arid, raising the risk of flooding.

On Wednesday, the Met Office issued an amber and a yellow warning that lasted throughout the day.

The warnings were made after Thames Water, a major water supplier in the UK, announced plans to impose a hosepipe ban for much of the south.

Under such a ban, people are prohibited from using a hosepipe for things such as watering their garden, filling a pool or washing their car.​​​​​​​

The months of July and August experienced the hottest summers after witnessing a record temperature of 40C (104F). Less than 10% rainfall was recorded in all regions across the southeast of England, making it the driest year since 1836.

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China announces military exercise opposite Taiwan after warning Pelosi to scrap plans to visit

China has given no details on what sorts of units will take part in exercises planned for opposite Taiwan. In this file photo, a missile launches from a Chinese submarine.

China Photos | Getty Images News | Getty Images

China said it was conducting military exercises Saturday off its coast opposite Taiwan after warning Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. House of Representatives to scrap possible plans to visit the island democracy, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

The ruling Communist Party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, was conducting "live-fire exercises" near the Pingtan islands off Fujian province from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., the official Xinhua News Agency said. The Maritime Safety Administration warned ships to avoid the area.

Such exercises usually involve artillery. The one-sentence announcement gave no indication whether Saturday's exercise also might include missiles, fighter planes or other weapons.

Pelosi, who would be the highest-ranking American elected official to visit Taiwan since 1997, has yet to confirm whether she will go. President Xi Jinping warned his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in a phone call Thursday against "external interference" in Beijing's dealings with the island.

China says Taiwan has no right to conduct foreign relations. It sees visits by American officials as encouragement for the island to make its decades-old de facto independence official.

The Ministry of Defense warned Washington this week not to allow Pelosi, who is Biden's equal in rank as leader of one of three branches of government, to visit Taiwan. A spokesman said the PLA would take unspecified "strong measures" to stop pro-independence activity.

The PLA has flown growing numbers of fighter planes and bombers near Taiwan and has in the past fired missiles into shipping lanes to the island.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war that ended with a communist victory on the mainland.

The two governments say they are one country but disagree over which is entitled to national leadership. They have no official relations but are linked by billions of dollars in trade and investment.

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