Nawaz Sharif to lead key Murree meeting

Chinese authorities evacuated tourists from the famous Jiuzhaigou National Park on Monday after heavy rainfall triggered mudslides, forcing the temporary closure of parts of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The emergency came as the country issued its highest level warning for flash floods following widespread destruction caused by Typhoon Noul. Located in Sichuan province, Jiuzhaigou is one of China’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its crystal clear blue, green, and purple lakes, snow covered mountains, dense forests, and spectacular waterfalls. Every year, the scenic park attracts millions of visitors from around the world. State broadcaster CCTV reported that several major attractions inside the park had been closed to protect public safety while emergency teams evacuated stranded visitors. Authorities said the operation was carried out in an orderly manner and that tourists were being moved to safe locations. Local officials announced that sections of the Rize Valley above Arrow Bamboo Lake, including the lake itself, along with the entire Zechawa Valley, would remain closed until conditions improve. They said the restrictions were necessary because of the high risk of additional mudslides and unstable ground caused by continuous rainfall. The closures followed the impact of Typhoon Noul, the strongest storm to strike China this year. The typhoon brought torrential rain across southern and central regions, increasing the danger of flooding and landslides in several provinces. China’s Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued a red alert for flash floods covering parts of Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, and southeastern Xinjiang. A red warning is the country’s highest emergency level and indicates an extremely high risk of severe flooding. Mountainous areas across China are especially vulnerable during the summer rainy season. Steep slopes, river valleys, and saturated soil often combine to trigger landslides and mudslides after prolonged rainfall. This month’s severe weather has already caused a series of deadly disasters in different parts of the country. In Chongqing, a major landslide triggered by heavy rain killed at least 11 people, while around 50 others remain missing as rescue teams continue search operations. In Gansu province, another landslide in Tanchang county claimed at least 21 lives. Separate flash floods struck a scenic camping area in Weiyuan county, killing 10 tourists and injuring 23 others. In another incident, five people lost their lives after a house was buried beneath collapsing loess soil in Shanxi province. Emergency workers have been responding to multiple disasters as extreme weather continues to affect large parts of the country. China has now entered its annual peak flood control period, which runs from the middle of July to the middle of August. This is traditionally the time when the country experiences its heaviest rainfall and greatest flood risks. Weather experts have warned that rainfall is expected to become even more frequent and intense in the coming weeks. Forecasts suggest that northern China could receive between 20 and 50 percent more rainfall than average, raising concerns about further flooding, landslides, and disruptions to transportation and tourism. Authorities have urged residents and travelers to closely follow weather updates and avoid areas vulnerable to natural disasters as emergency teams remain on high alert.

Taiwan will carry out a new military exercise next month to test whether it can continue producing weapons if key defence facilities come under attack during a conflict with China. The drills will include relocating arms production lines and converting civilian factories into military manufacturing sites to ensure the armed forces continue receiving essential equipment even if major supply hubs are damaged. The exercise will take place as part of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang war games, scheduled from August 5 to August 14. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the scenario will simulate China using its regular military exercises as cover to prepare for a full scale invasion. Taiwan’s armed forces will respond by immediately increasing combat readiness and launching rapid defensive operations. One of the main objectives is to determine whether industrial production can be spread across different locations without disrupting the supply of military equipment. Officials say maintaining manufacturing capacity during wartime is essential because China would likely target command centers, ports, logistics networks and defence factories early in any military campaign. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan strongly rejects those claims, maintaining that it is already a self governed and independent nation. Major General Lu Wen-yuan, who heads the Joint Operations Division, said the exercise will assume that Chinese forces use their routine annual military drills to hide preparations for a large scale assault. Under the scenario, Taiwan will activate emergency measures and begin moving critical defence production away from vulnerable locations. The drills will include the simulated relocation of the Armaments Bureau’s 202nd Arsenal in Taipei. Civilian factories responsible for assembling complete military systems will also be mobilized after emergency orders are issued. The exercise is designed to measure how quickly industries can shift operations while continuing to meet the military’s needs during a crisis. Taiwan will also examine its ability to keep vital shipping routes open if conflict disrupts normal transport. The navy and coast guard will conduct joint operations using personnel, equipment and live ammunition. These exercises will include escorting shipments of essential supplies, protecting coastal areas, carrying out maritime law enforcement missions and testing upgraded coast guard vessels. The military planning comes as Taiwan reports a noticeable increase in Chinese coast guard activity around the island. Officials in Taipei believe the growing presence could signal greater pressure on Taiwan’s eastern coastline and threaten sea routes that are critical for importing fuel, food and other strategic supplies. For the first time, the Han Kuang exercises will also include a nationwide communications test. Mobile internet speeds will be deliberately reduced during parts of the ten day exercise to assess how the public and emergency services would communicate if network capacity became limited because of natural disasters or military action. Authorities hope the test will help identify weaknesses in emergency communication systems and improve the island’s ability to function during a prolonged crisis. The expanded drills reflect Taiwan’s efforts to strengthen its overall resilience against potential military threats. By preparing industries, transport networks and communication systems for wartime conditions, officials aim to ensure that the island can continue supporting both its armed forces and civilian population even if key infrastructure comes under sustained attack.