China to run new drills in Yellow and Bohai seas - Chinese authorities
China says it is carrying out new military exercises in the Yellow and Bohai seas after a barrage of drills that encircled Taiwan in recent days, BBC reported.
The initial exercises were triggered by Beijing's fury at a visit to Taipei by the US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.
Taiwan has accused China of practising for an invasion of the island, which Beijing sees as its own.
On Sunday a senior Chinese military analyst said China would now conduct "regular" military drills near Taiwan.
China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing's control. But Taiwan is a self-ruled island that sees itself as distinct from the mainland.
Any hint of recognition of this by world leaders, however, enrages China.
With the series of military drills around Taiwan expected to finish on Sunday, the Chinese maritime authorities announced that a number of other military drills are being carried out in other locations.
In the Yellow Sea - located between China and the Korean peninsula - new daily military drills were due to start from Saturday until the middle of August, and include live-fire exercises, according to BBC.
In addition, a month-long military operation in one area of the Bohai sea - off China's east coast - started on Saturday. A separate military drill also took place in the northern part of the Bohai sea.
The announcements come as a senior military analyst quoted in Chinese state media said China would conduct "regular" military drills on the eastern side of the median line in the Taiwan Strait from now on. The median line is an unofficial buffer separating the two sides.
The exercises were expected to end by midday on Sunday, but neither China nor Taiwan has confirmed their conclusion.
Taiwan's transport ministry, however, said most of its airline and sailing routes could gradually resume as of midday on Sunday.
But it added that it would continue to direct flights away from one of the drill zones until Monday morning.
In Taiwan, people have largely reacted to China's actions over the last four days with a large shrug.
Videos posted on social media showed hundreds of people enjoying a large street party on Saturday night in one of Taiwan's outlying islands close to the Chinese coast, BBC reported.
The collective message to Beijing seems to be that its intimidation will not work.
But military analysts have not been so sanguine.
Chinese, Taiwanese warships eye each other as drills due to end
Chinese and Taiwanese warships played high-seas "cat and mouse" on Sunday ahead of the scheduled end of four days of unprecedented Chinese military exercises launched in reaction to a visit to Taiwan by the US house speaker, Reuters reported.
Nancy Pelosi's visit last week to the self-ruled island infuriated China, which responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over the island's capital for the first time and the cutting of communication links with the United States.
Some 10 warships each from China and Taiwan sailed at close quarters in the Taiwan Strait, with some Chinese vessels crossing the median line, an unofficial buffer separating the two sides, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
The island's defence ministry said in a release multiple Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones were simulating attacks on the island and its navy. It said it had sent aircraft and ships to react "appropriately".
As Chinese forces "pressed" the line, as they did on Saturday, the Taiwan side stayed close to monitor and, where possible, deny the Chinese the ability to cross, the person said.
"The two sides are showing restraint, the person said, describing the manoeuvres as high seas "cat and mouse".
"One side tries to cross, and the other stands in the way and forces them to a more disadvantaged position and eventually return to the other side."
Taiwan said its shore-based anti-ship missiles and its Patriot surface -to-air-missiles were on stand-by.
The Chinese exercises, centred on six locations around the island that China claims as its own, began on Thursday and are scheduled to last until midday on Sunday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported last week, according to Reuters.
China's military said on Saturday the sea and air joint exercises, north, southwest and east of Taiwan, had a focus on land-strike and sea-assault capabilities.
The United States called the exercises an escalation.
"These activities are a significant escalation in China's efforts to change the status quo. They are provocative, irresponsible and raise the risk of miscalculation," a White House spokesperson said.
"They are also at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is what the world expects."
Vice President Pun congratulates his Indian counterpart
Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun has congratulated the newly-elected Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar and wished him a successful term in office.
In a message of best wishes sent to the Indian Vice President today, Vice President Pun has expressed the confidence that the multi-faceted relations between Nepal and India would be further strengthened and expanded during Vice President Dhankhar's tenure, according to Manoj Ghartimagar, the Vice President Pun's press coordinator.
Dhankhar is the 14th Vice President of India. He secured 528 votes out of the 710 valid votes in the 16th Vice-Presidential election held in the Indian Parliament on Saturday.
Bhattarai, Yadav picked as Chairpersons of Nepal Samajbadi Party
Baburam Bhattarai and Mahindra Raya Yadav have been picked as the Chairpersons of the newly-formed Nepal Samajbadi Party.
The party was formed after Dr Bhattarai led team quit the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), Nepal, some weeks ago.
The first meeting of the party held in Lalitpur on Saturday formed 189-member central committee, selecting Dr Bhattarai and Yadav as the chairpersons.
Ganga Narayan Shrestha is named as the party’s co-chair while Hisila Yami, Durga Sob and Bhakta Bahadur Shah are the vice-chairs.
Ramesh Prasad Yadav is picked as the party’s general secretary.