Beijing ready to 'forcefully' stop Taiwan
Independence: China defence chief
SINGAPORE, June 02: Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun warned Sunday his military is ready to "forcefully" stop Taiwan independence but called for greater exchanges with the United States. The remarks at an annual security forum in Singapore followed the first substantive face-to-face talks in 18 months between the two countries' defence chiefs. "We have always been open to exchanges and cooperation, but this requires both sides to meet each other halfway," Dong told the Shangri-La Dialogue where he met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday. "We believe that we need more exchanges precisely because there are differences between our two militaries." — AFP
Panama prepares to evacuate first island
in face of rising sea levels
GARDI SUGDUB, June 02: On a tiny island off Panama's Caribbean coast, about 300 families are packing their belongings in preparation for a dramatic change. Generations of Gunas who have grown up on Gardi Sugdub in a life dedicated to the sea and tourism will trade that next week for the mainland's solid ground. They go voluntarily - sort of. The Gunas of Gardi Sugdub are the first of 63 communities along Panama's Caribbean and Pacific coasts that government officials and scientists expect to be forced to relocate by rising sea levels in the coming decades. —AP
Sri Lanka monsoon floods kill 14
COLOMBO, June 02: Flash floods, mudslides and falling trees have killed at least 14 people in Sri Lanka as the island nation is battered by monsoon storms, the country's disaster centre said Sunday. Some drowned, including three members of the same family swept away near the capital Colombo on Sunday. Others were buried alive in mudslides, including an 11-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. — AFP
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