The continuous heavy rain in suburban Beijing has forced residents to evacuate to safety as fire fighters carried out rescue operations to help those trapped by floods.
The meteorological authorities in districts of Miyun, Huairou and Yanqing issued red alerts for torrential rain on Saturday, the highest level in China's four-tier color-coded weather warning system.
Moreover, the country's Ministry of Water Resources on Sunday activated an emergency response for flood control in Beijing.
As of Sunday, the torrential rain had resulted in the evacuation of more than 3,000 residents in Miyun.
Among them, nearly 100 villagers from low-lying communities in Shicheng Town were relocated to an elementary school on Sunday morning, where they have been taken care of by governmental workers and medics.
"The school buildings can accommodate relatively more people, and the school canteen is able to offer food in time. So far, we have relocated residents from two villages. The next step is to assess the damage, carry out active post-disaster reconstruction work, and rebuild the relevant infrastructure as soon as possible, so that the people can return to their homes as early as possible," said Li Youning, mayor of Shicheng Town.
Residents rescued, evacuated amid continuous torrential rain in Beijing
Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC), is denying that it is disbanding, after a Riyadh-based delegation of the group declared the dissolution of the council and all its political and military structures on Friday.
The council on Saturday issued a statement on social media, refuting reports of its dissolution, calling them "fabricated and invalid." This contradicts a claim made by its Secretary-General Abdulrahman Jalal al-Subaihi in a broadcast on Yemeni television on Friday.
The dissolution announcement follows the recent departure of STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi from Yemen amid intensified political tensions in Aden. His departure came ahead of Saudi-hosted dialogue talks on the future of southern Yemen, and amid growing internal divisions within the council.
The delegation is in Saudi Arabia as part of talks on the southern political track, marking a pivotal moment for a movement that has dominated Aden's political and security landscape in recent years.
The conflicting statements reveal deep internal divisions within the UAE-backed STC, amid heightened regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia has accused the UAE of helping the group’s leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, escape the country, while the STC has accused Riyadh of detaining its members and forcing them to make false statements.
As tensions rise, local authorities have imposed a citywide curfew across Aden over the past two days.
Official in charge of the Community Committees at the Southern Transitional Council
"From a security standpoint, those who have taken control of affairs in the interim capital, Aden, and in several southern provinces are southern armed forces, namely the Giants Brigades and the Southern Homeland Shield. There is no fear for the southern people. As for the public, they will return to the streets to demand secession from the Yemeni state," said Wakkas Ahmed, an official in charge of the Community Committees at the STC.
That curfew has since been lifted, according to security officials, as forces continue to monitor developments and maintain a visible presence throughout the city. But the group is now calling for mass protests in southern Yemeni cities.
Southern Transitional Council denies its dissolution
