China breathes fire at Taiwan after Pelosi visit; Largest military drills begin

• China's largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan have kicked off after a visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Chinese military helicopters flew past Pingtan island, one of the mainland’s closest points to Taiwan. According to state media, the exercises, which began around 12 pm (0400 GMT), involve 'live-firing.' "Six major areas around the island have been selected for this actual combat exercise and during this period, relevant ships and aircraft should not enter the relevant waters and airspaces," state broadcaster CCTV reported. Chinese forces fired "multiple" ballistic missiles into waters around Taiwan during military drills, Taipei's defence ministry said, condemning what it described as "irrational actions that undermine regional peace". Watch this video for more details.