AFP UK

Taipei (AFP) – Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen calls China’s live-fire military drills around the island a “continued, deliberately heightened military threat”.

Pingtan (China) (AFP) – Helicopters are seen flying over the sea in China’s Pingtan, facing the Taiwan strait, ahead of Beijing’s largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan due to kick off Thursday after a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. IMAGES

Yreka (United States) (AFP) – The McKinney fire leaves a trail of burnt buildings after it tore through swathes of northern California, forcing over 3,000 residents to flee. At least four have died in the blaze which has consumed over 56,000 acres so far.

Kentucky (United States) (AFP) – A Kentucky National Guard flight crew rescues residents trapped by flooding in eastern Kentucky. At least 3 dozen people have died in the floods, and possible severe weather overnight threatens to provoke further damage.

Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany) (AFP) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Russia is responsible for blocking the delivery of a pipeline turbine it needs to keep gas flowing to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Russian energy giant Gazprom has blamed the delayed return of the unit from Canada, where it was being serviced, for the initial reduction in deliveries of gas via the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in June.

Beijing (AFP) – China insists its military exercises around the Taiwan Strait were “necessary and just” in the wake of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island. “The United States is the provocateur, China is the victim,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying tells a regular briefing.

Viganj (Croatia) (AFP) – Windsurfers from around the world are flocking to Croatia’s Adriatic coast to make the most of its unique conditions created by strong north-westerly winds.

Taipei (AFP) – US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departs Taiwan, ending a controversial landmark visit that Beijing responded to with threats and military drills.

Sumy (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian blacksmith Anton Zaika had carved out a modest but successful business exporting to wealthy European clients, but when war came five months ago, he changed his priorities. He now makes anti-tank barriers and special iron stoves for the local volunteer battalion in the frontline northwestern city of Sumy.

Hong Kong (AFP) – The game of Mahjong is an integral part of Chinese culture, but the manufacturing of the games tiles has become largely automated. In Hong Kong, Cheung Shun-king is one of the last remaining hand-carvers of mahjong tiles. The hand-carving and painting process is a time-consuming one, and Cheung’s tiles cost significantly more than their machine-made counterparts. But having been in the business for nearly 3 decades, he says he’ll keep serving his dwindling customer base for as long as he can. 

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky says in his daily address that Russia has “provoked a food crisis in order to use grain, corn and oil supplies as weapons” as the first Ukrainian grain shipment since the Russian invasion reaches Turkey.

Taipei (AFP) – US Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen meet at the Presidential Palace in Taipei. Pelosi’s visit defied a string of increasingly stark warnings and threats from China, which views Taiwan as its territory and had warned it would consider her visit a major provocation. IMAGES