PM Shehbaz orders urgent flood relief nationwide

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.

SEOUL: North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile into waters off the Korean Peninsula’s eastern coast on Wednesday, raising tensions just days before major military exercises between South Korea and the United States. South Korean and Japanese authorities detected the launch from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s east coast at around 6am local time. The missile travelled approximately 700 kilometres before falling into the sea, according to South Korean and Japanese defence officials. The launch came only days before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, scheduled to begin on August 17 and continue through August 27. The drills are designed to strengthen the allies’ ability to respond to security threats from North Korea. Pyongyang has repeatedly criticised the exercises, describing them as preparations for a potential attack. Seoul and Washington maintain that the drills are defensive and necessary to improve their combined military readiness. South Korean officials said Wednesday’s launch was the latest in a series of weapons tests conducted by North Korea this year. It was assessed as the country’s 11th suspected ballistic missile test of 2026. North Korea had also launched a missile from the Wonsan region on August 6. Pyongyang did not publicly acknowledge that test. Analysts said the latest launch could have been part of North Korea’s ongoing weapons development programme. However, its timing may also have been intended to send a political and military message ahead of the upcoming US-South Korean exercises. South Korean authorities have not yet confirmed the exact type of missile involved. Officials said a detailed analysis was under way to determine its specifications. The missile’s reported range and launch location have prompted speculation that it could have been a hypersonic weapon or another advanced missile system. Officials have not confirmed those assessments. Seoul and Tokyo condemn launch South Korea and Japan strongly criticised the missile test. South Korean authorities convened an emergency security meeting and called on Pyongyang to stop activities that violate United Nations Security Council resolutions. South Korea’s military said it remained fully prepared to respond to any further provocation and would maintain its combined defence posture with the United States. Japan also lodged a formal protest through diplomatic channels. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi condemned the launch and said Tokyo was closely monitoring developments. The latest test follows growing tensions over North Korea’s expanding weapons programme and Japan’s plans to strengthen its defence capabilities. North Korean state media had criticised Japan’s latest defence policy document a day earlier, accusing Tokyo of using the North Korean threat to justify an increase in military spending and capabilities. The US Indo-Pacific Command said it was coordinating closely with South Korea and Japan. Its initial assessment was that the missile launch did not pose an immediate threat to US territory, American personnel or its allies.

In a major step to improve consular services for overseas Pakistanis, the Pakistan High Commission in London has launched a digital property transfer facility, enabling British Pakistanis to transfer property in Punjab without travelling to Pakistan. Introduced in line with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directives to enhance services for the Pakistani diaspora, the initiative allows overseas Pakistanis to complete the property transfer process directly at the High Commission after verifying their identity. Under the new system, applicants are no longer required to issue a Power of Attorney or appoint an agent to handle property transfers on their behalf, reducing the risk of fraud and unnecessary legal expenses. The digital property transfer process is designed to be transparent, secure, efficient and cost-effective, offering overseas Pakistanis a streamlined alternative to the traditional method of property transactions. The service is part of a collaboration between the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) and Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bringing digital land record services closer to the Pakistani community in the United Kingdom. Officials said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to modernising public services and facilitating overseas Pakistanis by allowing them to manage property matters from London without the need to travel to Pakistan.